CURIOUS  FACTS 

Relating  to  Almost E/ery- 
i})W^  under'  t]}e  <Sunj) 


GIFT  or 

A»    F.    ..lorrison 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/bookofcuriousfacOOwillrich 


A  BooK  of 
Curious  Facts 


Of  General  Interest  Relat- 
ing to  Almost  Ever>^tliing 
Under  tlie  Stin      j^     j^     j^ 

Compilecl    and    Edited    l>x 

HENRY     WILLIAMS 


A*  I^«  Burt  Company,    PublisHers 
Ne^v  YorR     ^       ^       ^       ^       Ji       ^ 


SI  c  (^6  3  J 


Copyright  1903  hy 
New  Amsterdam  Book  Company 

QIFT  OF 


CURIOUS   FACTS 


Greasing  Soldiers'  Feet. 

The  experiment,  begun  some  time  ago  in  the  German 
infantry,  of  doing  away  with  socks  and  keeping  the  foot 
soldier's  feet  well  greased,  has  proved  thoroughly  suc- 
cessful. To  say  nothing  of  the  economy  of  the  plan, 
the  men  march  easier,  and,  generally  speaking,  show 
few  blisters.  So,  too,  lifting  the  foot  high — the  regula- 
tion step  now — is  said  to  make  the  most  awkward 
Pomeranian  or  Hanoverian  peasant  fairly  sure  footed, 
while  before  its  adoption  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  such 
men  would  stumble  in  a  charge  over  rough  ground,  and 
about  ten  per  cent.  fall. 

When   to   Pare  the   Finger   Wails. 

The  old  formula,  from  early  Saxon  times,  reads  as 
follows : 

Cut  them  on  Monday,  cut  them  for  health. 

Cut  them  on  Tuesday,  cut  them  for  wealth. 

Cut  them  on  Wednesday,  cut  for  a  letter. 

Cut  them  on  Thursday,  for  something  better. 

Cut  them  on  Friday,  you  cut  for  a  wife. 

Cut  them  on  Saturday,  cut  for  long  life. 

Cut  them  on   Sunday,  you  cut  them  for  evil. 

For  all  of  that  week  you'll  be  ruled  by  the  devil. 

Another  version  changes  the  last  two  lines  to  the 
beginning : 

A  man  had  better  ne'er  been  born, 
Than  have  his  nails  on  Sunday  shorn. 

7 


r^95593 


8  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Miniature. 

— '  The  dri^ih  :cf  tho:  word  "miniature"  is  as  follows: 
in  thev golden^ day 5  of  Roman  literature,  to  be  a  suc- 
ces^lul  ^author  was  to  be  as  great  as  a  king,  for  kings 
.  Ibolctci'  "^o  .  ibeir  J  poets  '  for  immortality,  as  Augustus 
'Cae^^r*-d^d  tp  ;;Hota<:c.  .Hence  it  was  to  be  expected  that 
authors  would  feel  their  importance  and  display  more 
or  less  vanity.  One  of  their  weaknesses  was  to  see 
their  portraits  painted  in  artistic  fashion  in  their  parch- 
ment books.  This  work  was  intrusted  to  artists  called 
"  miniatores,"  that  is,  artists  whose  work  was  largely 
done  in  vermilion,  a  color  extracted  from  cinnabar, 
and  called  by  the  Romans  "  minimum."  Those  ''  minia- 
tores "  chose  the  oval  form  for  their  beautifully  bril- 
liant portraits  on  the  parchment  books,  and  hence  the 
origin  of  the  term  ''  miniature,"  a  small  hand-painted 
oval  or  round  portrait. 

Punctuation. 

It  is  strange  that  the  use  of  points  for  purposes  of 
punctuation  should  be  such  a  comparatively  modern 
invention.  Of  the  four  generally-used  points  only  the 
period  (.)  dates  earlier  than  the  fifteenth  century.  The 
colon  (  :)  is  said  to  have  been  first  introduced  about 
1485,  the  comma  (,)  some  thirty-five  years  later,  and 
the  semicolon  (;)  about  1570.  It  is  difficult  to  under- 
stand how  the  literary  world  dispensed  for  so  many 
centuries  with  the  useful  points,  and  their  lack  must 
have  added  to  the  toil  of  the  decipherer  of  written  docu- 
ments. When  we  remember  what  curious  inversions  of 
meaning  may  be  caused  by  the  misplacing  of  a  comma, 
we  marvel  how  early  authors  contrived  to  escape 
strange  misreadings  of  their  works,  in  which  no  points 
guided  the  students. 

"  Rats." 

No,  not  the  slang  phrase,  but  the  bothersome  little 
rodent.  Rats  are  natives  of  Asia,  and  their  raids  west- 
ward belong  to  comparatively  modern  times.  The  little 
animal  was  unknown  in  ancient  Europe.  The  black 
rat  first  came  to  Europe  from  Asia  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, and  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  or  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  9 

fending  of  the  sixteenth  century  he  arrived  in  America. 
This  black  rat  was  the  common  house  rat  until  the 
brown  or  grey  rat  made  his  appearance  in  I775-  The 
grey  rat  came  to  Europe  from  India  by  way  of  Russia, 
and  is  now  known  as  the  Norway  rat  from  a  mistaken 
tradition  that  it  came  from  Norway  to  England,  and 
from  the  latter  country  to  America. 

About  Finger  Nails. 

A  white  mark  on  the  nail  bespeaks  misfortune. 

Pale  or  lead  colored  nails  indicate  melancholy  people. 

People  with  narrow  nails  are  ambitious  and  quarrel- 
some. 

Broad  nails  indicate  a  gentle,  timid,  and  bashful 
nature. 

Lovers  of  knowledge  and  liberal  sentiment  have 
round  nails. 

Small  nails  indicate  littleness  of  mind,  obstinacy,  and 
conceit. 

Choleric,  martial  men,  delighting  in  war,  have  red 
and  spotted  nails. 

Nails  growing  into  the  flesh  at  the  points  or  sides 
indicate  luxurious  tastes. 

People  with  very  pale  nails  are  subject  to  much  in- 
firmity of  the  flesh,  and  persecution  by  neighbors  and 
friends. 

Where  Colors  Come  From. 

The  cochineal  insects  furnish  a  great  many  of  the 
very  fine  colors.  Among  them  are  the  gorgeous  car- 
mine, the  crimson,   scarlet,   carmine,   and  purple  lakes. 

The  cuttlefish  give^  the  sepia.  It  is  the  inky  fluid 
which  the  fish  discharges  in  order  to  render  the  water 
opaque  when  attacked. 

Indian  yellow  comes  from  the  camel. 

Ivory  chips  produce  the  ivory  black  and  bone  black. 

The  exquisite  Prussian  blue  is  made  by  fusing  horses' 
hoofs  and  other  refuse  animal  matter  with  impure 
potassium  carbonate.  This  color  was  discovered  acci- 
dentally. 

Various  lakes  are  derived  from  roots,  barks  and 
gums. 


10  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Blue  black  comes  from  the  charcoal  of  the  vine  stalk. 
Lamp  black   is   soot   from   certain   resinous   substances. 

Turkey  red  is  made  from  the  madder  plant,  which 
grows   in   Hindostan. 

The  yellow  sap  of  a  tree  in  Siam  produces  gamboge; 
the  natives  catch  the  sap  in  cocoanut  shells.  Raw  sienna 
is  the  natural  earth  from  the  neighborhood  of  Sienna, 
Italy.  Raw  umber  is  also  an  earth  found  near  Umbria 
and  burned.  ' 

India  ink  is  made  from  burned  camphor.  The  Qii- 
nese  are  the  only  manufacturers  of  this  ink  and  they 
will  not  reveal  the   secret   of  its   manufacture. 

Mastic  is  made  from  the  gum  of  the  mastic  tree 
which  grows  in  the  Grecian  archipelago. 

Bistre  is  the  soot  of  wood  ashes. 

Very  little  real  ultramarine  is  found  in  the  market. 
It  is  obtained  from  the  precious  lapis-lazuli,  and  com- 
mands a   fabulous  price. 

Chinese  white  is  zinc,  scarlet  is  iodide  of  mercury, 
and  native  vermilion  is  from  the  quicksilver  ore  called 
cinnabar. — American  Druggist. 

A  Lesson  in  Spelling. 

Pay  great  attention!  What  does  this  spell — Ghough- 
phtheightteau  ?  Well,  according  to  the  following  rule 
it  spells — it  spells — Do  you  give  it  up?  It  spells  potato, 
viz. — gh  stands  for  p,  as  you  will  find  from  the  last 
letters  in  hiccough;  ough  for  o,  as  in  dough;  phth 
stands  for  t,  as  in  phthisis;  eigh  stands  for  a,  as  in 
neighbor ;  tte  stands  for  t,  as  in  gazette,  and  eau  stands 
for  o,  as  in  beau.  Thus  you  have  p-o-t-a-t-o.  Who 
will  give  another? 

Perfume  Does  Wot  Diminish  Weight. 

A  grain  of  musk  has  been  kept  freely  exposed  to  the 
air  of  a  room,  of  which  the  door  and  window  were 
constantly  open  for  ten  years,  during  all  which  time 
the  air,  though  constantly  changed,  was  completely  im- 
pregnated with  the  odor  of  musk,  and  yet  at  the  end 
of  that  time  the  particle  was  found  not  to  have  sensibly 
diminished  in  weight. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ii 

Height  of  Sea  Waves. 

Careful  experiments  made  by  an  experienced  English 
navigator  at  Santander,  on  the  north  coast  of  Spain, 
showed  that  the  crest  of  sea  waves  in  a  long  and  heavy- 
gale  were  forty-two  feet  high,  and  allowing  the  same 
for  the  depth  between  the  waves  would  make  a  height 
of  eighty-four  feet  from  crest  to  base. 

First  Cotton  in  England. 

In  1600  cotton  was  first  brought  to  England  from 
Cyprus  and  Smyrna,  and  made  into  fustians,  dimities, 
etc.  In  1697  2,000,000  pounds  were  imported  for  weft, 
to  work  with  linen  warp  as  a  domestic  manufacture, 
the  carding  and  spinning  being  performed  by  children 
and  women  for  rural  weavers. 

"  Blue  Stockings." 

The  term  *'  Blue  Stocking,"  applied  to  literary  ladies, 
was  conferred  on  a  society  which  was  called  the  Blue 
Stocking  Club,  in  which  females  were  admitted,  and 
so  called  owing  to  a  Mr.  Benjamin  Stillingfleet,  one  of 
its  active  members,  wearing  blue  stockings. 

Grouping  of  Animals. 

The  generally  accepted  terms  of  the  various  groups 
of  animals  and  birds  are  as  follows : — A  herd  of  swine, 
a  skulk  of  foxes,  a  pack  of  wolves,  ?  drove  of  oxen  or 
cattle,  a  sounder  of  hogs,  a  troop  ot  monkeys,  a  pride 
of  lions,  a  sleuth  of  bears,  a  band  of  horses,  a  herd 
of  ponies,  a  covey  of  partridges,  a  nide  of  pheasants,  a 
wisp  of  snipe,  a  school  of  whales,  a  shoal  of  herrings, 
a  run  of  fish,  a  flight  of  doves,  a  muster  of  peacocks, 
a  siege  of  herons,  a  building  of  rooks,  a  brood  of 
grouse,  a  swarm  of  bees,  gnats,  flies,  etc.,  a  stand  of 
plovers,  a  watch  of  nightingales,  a  cast  of  hawks,  a 
flock  of  geese,  sheep,  goats,  etc.,  a  bevy  of  girls,  a 
galaxy  of  stars,  and  a  crowd  of  men  or  boys. 

Executions  Everywhere. 

The  modes  of  executions  in  the  different  countries, 
according  to  ''  X,"  in  "  American  Notes  and  Queries," 


12  CURIOUS  FACTS 

are:  In  Austria,  gallows,  public;  Bavaria,  guillotine, 
private;  Belgium,  guillotine,  public;  Brunswick,  axe, 
private;  China,  sword  or  cord,  public;  Denmark,  guillo- 
tine, public;  Ecuador,  musket,  public;  France,  guillo- 
tine, public;  Great  Britain,  gallows,  private;  Hanover, 
guillotine,  public;  (Italy,  capital  punishment  abolished)  ; 
Oldenburg,  musket,  public;  Portugal,  gallows,  public; 
Prussia,  sword,  private;  Russia,  musket,  gallows,  or 
sword,  public;  Saxony,  guillotine,  private;  Spain, 
garrote,  public;  Switzerland,  fifteen  cantons,  sword, 
public;  two  cantons,  guillotine,  public;  two,  guillotine, 
private;  United  States  other  than  New  York,  gallows, 
mostly  private. 

Your  Billions  of  Ancestors. 

Did  you  ever  think  how  many  male  and  female  an- 
cestors were  required  to  bring  you  into  the  world? 
First,  it  was  necessary  that  you  should  have  a  father 
and  mother.  That  makes  two  human  beings.  Each  of 
them  must  have  had  a  father  and  mother.  That  makes 
four  more  human  beings.  Again,  each  of  them  must 
have  had  a  father  and  mother,  making  eight  more 
human  beings.  So  on  we  go  back  to  the  time  of  Jesus 
Christ,  fifty-six  generations.  The  calculation  thus  re* 
suiting  shows  that  139,235,017,489,534,976  births  must 
have  taken  place  to  bring  you  into  this  world — ^you  who 
read  these  lines !  All  this  since  the  birth  of  Christ — 
not  since  the  beginning  of  time.  According  to  Proctor, 
if  from  a  single  pair,  for  5.000  years,  each  husband  and 
wife  had  married  at  21  years  of  age  and  there  had  been 
no  deaths,  the  population  of  the  earth  would  be  2,199,915 
followed  by  144  ciphers.  It  would  require  to  hold  this 
population  a  number  of  worlds  the  size  of  this,  equal 
to  3,166,526  followed  by  125  ciphers.  The  human  mind 
shrinks  in  contemplating  such  immense  numbers. 

Engineering  Feats. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  nothing  surpasses  in 
modern  engineering  the  pyramids  of  Ghizeh,  built  more 
than  5,000  years  ago.  It  is  universally  acknowledged 
by  the  highest  professional  authorities  in  architecture 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ij 

and  building  that  the  masonry  of  the  pyramids  could 
not  be  surpassed  in  these  days,  and,  moreover,  is  perfect 
for  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  intended — above 
all,  to  endure.  After  the  building  of  pyramids  was 
once  commenced,  it  was  the  fashion  for  about  ten  cen- 
turies to  erect  huge,  meaningless,  pointed  piles  of  ma- 
sonry. Of  the  hundreds  erected  about  seventy  have 
resisted  the  ravages  of  ages,  and  may  still  be  seen. 
Many  of  those  remaining  contain  enormous  blocks  of 
granite  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  long,  weighing  from 
300  to  500  tons,  and  display  the  most  consummate  in- 
genuity in  their   construction. 

A  more  difficult  operation  than  the  mere  transporta- 
tion of  immense  stones — that  of  erecting  obelisks 
weighing  400  tons — was  performed  with  precision  by 
the  Egyptians  300  years  before  the  time  of  Christ.  Of 
the  ancient  method  of  raising  immense  stones  nothing 
is  now  known — it  is  one  of  the  many  lost  arts.  The 
Peruvians  had  a  method  of  transporting  immense 
blocks  of  stone  that  would  be  a  fortune  to  the  modern 
engineer  did  he  possess  it.  The  Romans  were  also 
eminent  engineers,  and  by  some  authorities  are  set 
down  as  even  exceeding  the  Egyptians  in  that  direction. 
Immense  stones  were  used  in  constructing  the  temple 
of  Baaibec;  one  lies  ready  quarried  which  is  seventy 
feet  long  and  fourteen  feet  square,  and  weighs  1,135 
tons! 

Curious  Foundry  Work. 

A  curious  and  noteworthy  instance  of  foundry  work 
is  reported.  It  consisted  of  three  plates  of  cast  iron 
about  one-fourth  of  an  inch,  and  seven  by  five  inches  in 
surface,  covered  with  writing  indented  in  the  iron.  The 
impression  on  the  iron  is  made  by  writing  on  thin  paper, 
pinning  the  paper  in  a  mold  and  then  pouring  on  the 
iron.  The  writing  thus  transferred  to  the  plates  when 
the  iron  is  cooled  is  wonderfully  clear  and  distinct,  and 
is  so  deeply  imprinted  as  to  defy  any  attempt  at  erasure. 

How  to  See  the  Wind. 
Take   a   polished    metallic    surface    of   two    feet    or 
more,  with  a  straight  edge ;  ^  largq  handsaw  will  answer 


14  CURIOUS  FACTS 

the  purpose.  Select  a  windy  day,  weather  hot  or  cold, 
clear  or  cloudy,  only  let  it  not  rain  or  the  air  be 
murky — in  other  words,  let  the  air  be  dry.  Hold  this 
metallic  surface  at  right  angles  to  the  wind — i.  e.,  if  the 
wind  is  north,  hold  your  surface  east  and  west — ^and 
incline  it  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degs.,  so  that  the 
wind,  striking,  glances  and  flows  over  the  edge.  Now 
sight  carefully  over  the  edge  at  some  small  but  clearly 
defined  object,  and  you  will  see  the  air  flow  over  as 
water  flows  over  a  dam. 

Bible  Statistics — Interesting  Pacts  Gleaned  from  the 
Old  and  New   Testaments. 

After  the  bishops'  translation  of  1568-1589,  nothing 
further  in  that  line  was  accomplished  until  1609-1610, 
when  the  Roman  Catholics  brought  out  the  Douay 
Bible,  so  called  because  it  was  printed  at  a  city  of  that 
name.  A  year  later,  in  161 1,  the  English  press  issued 
the  King  James  revision. 

The  translation  of  161 1  has  remained  the  standard 
even  to  this  day,  notwithstanding  the  recent  revision, 
the  merit  of  which  rests  almost  wholly  on  the  fact 
that  "  hell  "  was  changed  to  "  hades." 

The  Bible  of  to-day  (Old  Testament)  contains  39 
books,  929  chapters,  23,214  verses,  592,439  words,  and 
2,738,100  letters. 

The  New  Testament  has  27  books,  270  chapters,  7,967 
verses,    132,253   words,   and  933,380   letters. 

In  speaking  of  the  Bible  it  is  generally  understood 
that  we  mean  the  two  books,  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament,  which,  taken  collectively,  have  66  books, 
1,199  chapters,  31,181  verses,  724,692  words,  and  3,671,480 
letters. 

The  word  Lord,  or  its  equivalent,  Jehovah,  occurs 
7,698  times  in  the  Old  Testament;  or,  to  be  more  exact, 
the  word  Lord  occurs  1,853  times,  and  the  word  Jehovah 
5,845  times. 

The  Apocrypha  (rejected  by  the  Council  of  Nice  as 
uninspired,  but  sometimes  bound  with  the  inspired  por- 
tions) contains  14  books,  183  chapters,  15,081  verses, 
and  153,185  words. 

The  shortest  chapter  in  the  Bible,  and  which  is  also 


CURIOUS  FACTS  15 

the  middle  chapter,  is  Psalm  cxvii.  The  middle  verse 
is  Psalm  xviii.  8. 

The  shortest  verse  in  the  Old  Testament  is  i  Chroni- 
cles i.  25 ;   shortest  in  New  Testament  is  John  xi.  35. 

The  ninth  verse  of  the  eighth  chapter  of  Esther  is 
the  longest  verse  in  the   entire   work. 

The  word  ''  and "  occurs  35,543  times  in  the  Old 
Testament,  and  the  word  "reverend"  but  once. 

Most  commentators,  in  fact  all  that  the  writer  has 
ever  consulted,  say  that  the  word  ''  girl "  is  to  be  found 
but  once  between  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  and  the 
last  chapter  of  Malachi — in  the  third  verse  of  the  third 
chapter  of  Joel.  This,  however,  is  a  mistake,  which 
can  be  proven  by  turning  to  the  fifth  verse  of  the 
eighth  chapter  of  Zachariah. 

Four  verses  of  the  107th  Psalm — the  8th,  15th,  21st, 
and  31st — are  exactly  alike,  and  the  36th  chapter  of 
Isaiah  and  the  19th  chapter  of  2  Kings  are  alike. 

The  above  curious  facts  in  regard  to  the  number  of 
chapters,  verses,  words,  and  letters  in  the  Holy  Book 
were  ascertained  by  the  Prince  of  Granada,  heir  to  the 
Spanish  throne,  who  was  for  thirty-three  years  a  pris- 
oner in  the  Palace  of  Skulls,  Madrid,  with  no  com- 
panion except  his  Bible,  which  he  faithfully  perused 
and  dissected  for  the  benefit  of  more  fortunate  hu- 
manity. 

There  are  nine  books  and  one  psalm  mentioned  in  the 
Bible  which  are  now  lost  to  the  world. 

The  book  of  Jasher,  mentioned  in  Joshua  x.  13,  and 
2  Samuel  i.  18. 

The  book  of  Iddo,  the  Seer,  to  which  reference  is 
made  twice  in  2  Chronicles — in  ix.  29,  and  xii.   15. 

The  prophesies  of  Ahijah.     See  2  Chronicles  x.  29. 

The  book  of  Nathan,  the  Prophet.     See  as  above. 

Book  of  Shemaiah,  mentioned  in  2  Chronicles  xii.  15. 

Book  of  Jehu.     See  2  Chronicles  xx.  34. 

Solomon's  five  books  on  natural  history.  See  2  Kings 
iv.  31-35. 

1  he  prophecy  of  Enoch.     See  Jude,   14. 

The  book  of  the  wars  of  the  Lord.  See  Numbers  xxi. 
14.  The  psalm  mentioned  in  several  places  but  not 
found  in  the  Bible  is  the  151st. 


l6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

There  are  many  other  curious  facts  in  regard  to  the 
Bible  that  would  interest  the  reader,  but  space  forbids 
further  reference  to  them  here.  Enough  has  been  said 
to  convince  any  one  of  an  inquiring  turn  of  mind  that 
the  old  Bible  is  not  the  dryest  book  in  the  world  after 
all — John  W.  Wright. 

The  Flapping  of  a  Fly's  Wing. 

The  slow  flapping  of  a  butterfly's  wing  produces  no 
sound,  but  when  the  movements  are  rapid  a  noise  is 
produced,  which  increases  in  shrillness  with  the  number 
of  vibrations.  Thus  the  house  fly,  which  produces  the 
sound  F,  vibrates  its  wings  21,120  times  a  minute,  or 
335  times  in  a  second;  and  the  bee,  which  makes  a 
sound  of  A,  as  many  as  26,400  times,  or  440  times  in 
a  second.  On  the  contrary,  a  tired  bee  hums  on  E, 
and  therefore,  according  to  theory,  vibrates  its  wings 
only  330  times  in  a  second.  Marcy,  the  naturalist,  after 
many  attempts,  has  succeeded  by  a  delicate  mechanism 
in  confirming  these  numbers  graphically.  He  fixed  a 
fly  so  that  the  tip  of  the  wing  just  touched  a  cylinder, 
which  was  moved  by  clockwork.  Each  stroke  of  the 
wing  caused  a  mark,  of  course  very  slight,  but  still 
quite  perceptible,  and  thus  showed  that  there  were 
actually  330  strokes  in  a  second,  agreeing  almost  ex- 
actly with  the  number  of  vibrations  inferred  from  the 
note  produced. — Sir  John  Lubbock. 

Odd  Marriage  Hecords. 

This  collection  of  marriage  announcements  has  been 
copied  from  old  newspapers  published  within  the  last 
hundred  years,  of  which  the  compiler  has  examined  be- 
tween 200  and  300  volumes,  selecting  such  as  he  thought 
worth  repeating  to  the  present  generation.  The  old 
wits  were  famous  for  punning  upon  names  which  they 
could  utilize  for  such  purpose,  and  many  of  these  an- 
nouncements will  provoke  laughter  in  spite  of  one's 
self.  .  .  .  Many  such  marriage  notices  as  the  com- 
piler has  found  have  been  rejected  as  too  flat  for  in- 
sertion, and,  on  the  other  hand,  he  found  some  that 


CURIOUS  FACTS  IJ 

were  rather  too  sharp  for  our  modern  civilization.    We 
give  the  following  extracts : — 

In  Concord,  N.  H.,  Feb.  3,  Mr.  Isaac  Hill,  one  of 
the  editors  of  The  Patriot,  to  Miss  Susan  Ayer,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Richard  Ayer. 

As  I  walked  out  the  other  day, 

Through  Concord  Street  I  took  my  way; 

I  saw  a  sight  I  thought  quite  rare — 

A  Hill  walked  out  to  take  the  Ayer. 

And  now,  since  earth  and  air  have  met  together, 

I  think  there'll  be  a  change  of  weather. 

In  Haverhill,  Mass.,  August  1829,  Cotton  K.  Simp- 
son, of  Pembroke,   N.   H.,  to   Miss   Sarah  R.   Marble. 

An   old    calculation    of   gain    and    loss 

Proves  "  a  stone  that  is  rolling  will  gather  no  moss." 

A  happy  expedient  has  lately  been  thought  on, 

By  which  Marble  may  gather  and  cultivate  Cotton. 

Married  at  Washington,  Ky.,  March  1814,  Mr.  Samuel 
January  to  Miss  Pamelia  January, 

"A  cold  match." 

At  Black  Lake,  L.  I.,  February  1828,  James  Ander- 
son, to  Miss  Ann  Bread. 

While  toasts  the  lovely  graces  spread, 

And  fops  around  them  flutter, 
I'll  be  contented  with  Ann  Bread 

And  won't  have  any  but  her. 

In  Bozrah,  Conn.,  August  1819,  Mr.  John  Bate,  of 
Williamstown,  Mass.,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Bass,  of  the 
former  place,  after  a  courtship  of  one  hour. 

,   Is  this  not  angling  well,  I  ask, 
Such  tender  bait  to  take? 
He  caught  in  one  short  hour  a  Bass; 
The  Bass,  though,  caught  the  Bate. 


1 8  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Married. — At  Williamsburg,  on  Friday,  April  15,  1853, 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Malone,  at  St.  Peter's  Church,  Mr.  W. 
Moon,  to  Miss  Ann  Cooke. 

He  is  not  mad,  though  lunar  light 

His  broth  did  overlook, 
For  he  has  gained,  to  his  delight, 

A  wife  that  is  a  Cooke. 
"  His  goose  is  cooked,"   and  other  maids 

May  envy  her  the  boon. 
Whose  tall  ambition  wished  and  got 

The  bright  man  in  the  Moon. 

In  New  York,  March  1832,  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Secord 
to  Miss  Cordelia  Ketcham. 

"  Ketcham,  Cordelia,  if  you  can !  *' 

*'  I  have,"  says  she, — "  Secord's  the  man." 

MaiTied,  at  Bridgewater,  Dec.  16,  1788,  Capt.  Thomas 
Baxter,  of  Quincy,  aged  66,  to  Miss  Whitman,  of  the 
former  place,  aged  57,  after  a  long  and  tedious  court- 
ship of  forty-eight  years,  which  they  both  sustained 
with  uncommon  fortitude. 

In  Concord,  February  1825,  by  Rev.  Dr.  McFarland, 
Solomon  Payne,  Esq.,  of  Canterbury,  Conn.,  to  Miss 
Ruth  Barker,  daughter  of  Lemuel  Barker,  of  this  town. 

Some  females  fall  in  love  with  wealth, 

Some  with  a  lovely  swain; 
But  Sarah,  in  the  bloom  of  health, 

Takes  to  her  bosom  Payne. 

In  Concord,  October  1809,  Jeremiah  P.  Raymond,  of 
Weare,  to  Miss  Susan  Gale. 

A  constant  Gale  forever  prove, 

To    fan    the    flame    of    virtuous    love. 

In  Boston,  April  1821,  by  Rev.  William  Sabine,  Joseph 
Willicutt  to  Miss  Susan  Whitmarsh,  after  a  tedious 
courtship  of  thirteen  days,  and  but  thirty-five  days  after 
the  death  of  his  former  wife. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  19 

The  best  way,  it  seems,  a  deep  sorrow  to  smother 
For  the  loss  of  a  wife  is — to  marry  another. 

In  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  December  1826,  Stephen 
Bumprey,  aged  76,  a  Revolutionary  pensioner,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Dewey,  aged  38. 

In  '76  he  fought  and  bled; 
In   76  he  woo'd  and  wed. 

In  Washington,  May  17,  1834,  Joshua  Peck,  to  Miss 
Amelia  Bushel. 

Alzookers,  bobs  and  wedding   cakes — 

What  changes  o£  measure  marriage  makes; 

Quick  as  a  thought,  at  Hymen's  beck, 
A  Bushel's  changed  into  a  Peck. 

— Curiosities   of  Matrimony, 

The  Casket  Copy  of  the  Iliad. 

While  Alexander  the  Great  was  on  his  Persian  ex- 
pedition and  after  he  had  conquered  Gaza,  Syria,  "  a 
casket  being  one  day  brought  to  him,  which  appeared 
one  of  the  most  curious  and  valuable  things  among  the 
treasures  and  the  whole  equipage  of  Darius  (the  Persian 
king),  he  asked  his  friends  what  they  thought  most 
worthy  to  be  put  into  it.  Different  things  were  to  be 
proposed,  but  he  said :  *  The  Iliad  most  deserved  such 
a  case.'  The  Iliad,  he  thought,  as  well  as  called,  a 
portable  treasure  of  military  knowledge;  and  he  had 
a  copy  corrected  by  Aristotle,  which  is  called  the  casket 
copy.  '  Darius,'  said  Alexander,  '  used  to  keep  his  oint- 
ments in  this  casket;  but  I,  who  have  no  time  to  anoint 
myself,  will  convert  it  to  a  nobler  use.'  Onesicritus 
informs  us  that  he  used  to  lay  it  under  his  pillow  with 
his  sword." — Plutarch. 

Origin  of  Visiting  Cards. 

As  is  the  case  in  many  other  instances  we  owe  the 
invention  of  cards  to  the  Chinese.  So  long  ago  as  the 
period  of  the  Tong  dynasty  (618-907),  visiting  cards 
were  known  to  be  in  common  use  in  China,  and  that 


^  CURIOUS  FACTS 

is  also  the  date  of  the  introduction  of  the  "  red  silken 
cords "  which  figure  so  conspicuously  on  the  engage- 
ment cards  of  that  country.  From  very  ancient  times 
to  the  present  day  the  Chinese  have  observed  the  strict- 
est ceremony  with  regard  to  the  paying  of  visits.  The 
cards  which  they  use  for  this  purpose  are  very  large, 
and  usually  of  a  bright  red  color.  When  a  Chinaman 
desires  to  marry,  his  parents  intimate  that  fact  to  the 
professional  ''  match  maker,"  who  thereupon  runs 
through  the  list  of  her  visiting  acquaintances,  and  se- 
lects one  whom  she  considers  a  fitting  bride  for  the 
young  man;  and  then  she  calls  upon  the  young  woman's 
parents,  armed  with  the  bridegroom's  card,  on  which 
are  inscribed  his  ancestral  name  and  the  eight  symbols 
which  denote  the  date  of  his  birth.  If  the  answer  is 
an  acceptance  of  his  suit,  the  bride's  card  is  sent  in 
return;  and  should  the  oracles  prophesy  good  concern- 
ing the  union,  the  particulars  of  the  engagements  are 
written  on  two  large  cards,  and  these  are  tied  together 
with  the  red  cords 

The  Buried  Forests  of  New  Jersey. 

An  industry,  the  like  of  which  does  not  exist  any- 
where else  in  the  world,  furnishes  scores  of  people  in 
Cape  May  county.  New  Jersey,  with  remunerative  em- 
ployment, and  has  made  comfortable  fortunes  for  many 
citizens.  It  is  the  novel  business  of  mining  cedar  trees 
— digging  from  far  beneath  the  surface  immense  logs 
of  sound  and  aromatic  cedar.  The  fallen  and  sub- 
merged cedar  forests  of  southern  New  Jersey  were  dis- 
covered first  beneath  the  Dennisville  swamps  seventy- 
five  years  ago,  and  have  been  a  source  of  constant  in- 
terest to  geologists  and  scientists  generally  ever  since. 
There  are  standing  at  the  present  day  no  such  enormous 
specimens  of  the  cedar  anywhere  on  the  face  of  the 
globe  as  are  found  embedded  in  the  deep  muck  of  the 
Dennisville  swamps,  says  Scientific  American. 

Ancient  Advertising. 
It  is  affirmed  that  the  first  newspaper  advertisement 
appeared  in  1642,  during  the  civil  war  in  Great  Britain, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  21 

In  Greece  it  was  the  public  crier  who  announced  sales 
or  bid  the  people  come  to  the  theatre  or  visit  the  public 
baths. 

In  mediaeval  times  it  was  the  public  crier  who  went 
abroad  enumerating  the  goods  that  a  certain  merchant 
had  for  sale. 

In  England  the  first  printed  advertisement  was  got 
up  by  Caxton,  the  celebrated  printer,  who  announced 
the  completion  of  "  The  Pyes  of  Salisbury,"  a  book  con- 
taining a  collection  of  rules  for  the  guidance  of  priests 
in  the  celebration  of  Easter. 

The  advertising  card  is  of  entirely  modern  origin,  al- 
though the  Egyptians,  Greeks  and  Romans  knew  some- 
thing about  advertising.  They  accomplished  the  desired 
results  through  the  medium  of  posters,  as  several  bills, 
painted  in  black  and  red,  were  discovered  on  the  walls 
of  the    Pompeiian   dwellings. 

The  first  authentic  advertisement  was  published  in 
The  Mercurius  Politicus,  of  1652.  In  the  year  1657,  a 
weekly  newspaper,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  adver- 
tisers, made  its  appearance  in  London.  It  was  not 
until  the  eighteenth  century  that  newspaper  advertising 
became  the  recognized  medium  between  the  manufac- 
turer and  the  buyer. 

Tarring  and  Feathering. 

Philologists  have  long  observed  that  many  words 
popularly  known  as  ''  Americanisms "  are  really  good 
old  English  terms  brought  over  by  the  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
the  early  settlers  on  the  James,  etc.,  and  retained  here 
when  forgotten  in  the  country  of  their  birth.  Similarly, 
not  a  few  Dutch  words — boss,  boodle,  etc. — ^brought  over 
by  the  early  settlers  of  New  Amsterdam,  have  spread 
from  their  original  American  habitat,  till  they  have 
become  part  of  our  speech.  It  is  not  less  interesting  to 
note  that  certain  customs,  forgotten  in  their  home  land, 
but  retained  here,  and,  therefore,  characterized  as 
"American,"   are  really  importations   from  Europe. 

Not  one  of  these  customs  has  been  regarded  as  more 
distinctively  "  Yankee "  than  the  venerable  one  of 
"tarring  and  feathering,"  and  yet  we  learn  from  the 
"  Annales  Rerum  Anglicarum  "  of  the  venerable  English 


^  CURIOUS  FACTS 

historian  Hoveden  (living  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and 
court  chaplain  to  Henry  III.)  that  the  custom  is  at 
least  as  old  as  the  time  of  Richard  the  Lion  Hearted. 
He  tells  that  Richard,  on  setting  out  on  the  third  cru- 
sade, made  sundry  enactments  for  the  regulation  of 
his  fleet,  one  of  which  was  that  "  A  robber  who  shall 
be  convicted  of  theft  shall  have  his  head  cropped  after 
the  fashion  of  a  champion,  and  boiling  pitch  shall  be 
poured  thereon,  and  the  feathers  of  a  cushion  shall  be 
shaken  out  on  him,  so  that  he  may  be  known,  and  at 
the  first  land  at  which  the  ship  shall  touch  he  shall 
be  set  on  shore."  Whether  the  custom  wa^  earlier  than 
this  we  have  no  means  of  determining.  It  is  at  least 
close  on  to  700  years  old. — American  Notes  and  Queries. 

Things  that  Never  will  be  Settled. 

"Engineer"  says  that  among  things  that  never  will 
be  settled  are  the  following: 

Whether  a  long  screw  driver  is  better  than  a  short 
one  of  the  same  family. 

Whether  water  wheels  run  faster  at  night  than  they 
do  in  the  daytime. 

The  best  way  to  harden  steel. 

Which  side  of  the  belt  should  run  next  the  pulley. 

The  proper  speed  of  line  shafts. 

The  right  way  to  lace  belts. 

Whether  compression  is  economical  or  the  reverse. 

The  principle  of  the  steam  injector. 

Chinese  Marriage  Superstitions. 

Domestic  troubles  are  sure  to  come  upon  one  who 
married  within  a  hundred  days  after  a  funeral. 

If  a  young  mother  goes  to  see  a  bride  the  visitor 
is  looked  upon  as  the  cause  of  any  calamity  that  may 
follow. 

A  bride  may  be  brought  home  while  a  coffin  is  in 
her  husband's  house,  but  not  within  100  days  after  a 
coffin  is  carried  out. 

If  a  bride  breaks  the  heel  of  her  shoe  in  going  from 
her  father's  to  her  husband's  house,  it  is  ominous  of 
unhappiness  in  her  new  relations. 

A  piece  of  bacon  and  a  parcel  of  sugar  are  hung  on 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^^ 

the  back  of  a  bride's  sedan  chair  as  a  sop  to  the  demons 
who  might  molest  her  while  on  her  journey. 

A  bride,  while  putting  on  her  wedding  garments, 
stands  in  a  round,  shallow  basket.  This  conduces  to 
her  leading  a  placid,  well  rounded  life  in  her  future 
home. 

A  bride  must  not,  for  four  months  after  her  marriage, 
enter  any  house  in  which  there  has  recently  been  a 
death  or  a  birth,  for  if  she  does  so  there  will  surely 
be  a  quarrel  between  her  and  the  groom. 

A  girl  who  is  partaking  of  the  last  meal  she  is  to 
eat  in  her  father's  house  previous  to  her  marriage  sits 
at  the  table  with  her  parents  and  brothers ;  but  she  must 
eat  no  more  than  half  the  bowl  of  rice  set  before  her, 
else  her  departure  will  be  followed  by  continual  scarcity 
in  the  domicile  she  is  leaving. 

Queer  Sign  Posts  for  Streets. 

Formerly  all  the  streets  in  Merida  were  distinguished 
in  a  manner  peculiar  to  Yucatan,  by  images  of  birds  or 
beasts  set  up  at  the  corners,  and  many  still  retain  the 
ancient  sign,  for  example,  the  street  upon  which  we 
are  living  is  called  La  Calle  del  Flamingo,  because  of 
a  huge  red  flamingo  painted  on  the  corner  house.  An- 
other is  known  as  the  street  of  the  Elephant,  and  the 
representation  of  it  is  an  exaggerated  animal,  with 
curved  trunk,  and  a  body  as  big  as  a  barrel.  There 
is  the  street  of  the  Old  Woman,  and  on  its  corner  is 
the  caricature  of  an  aged  female,  with  huge  spectacles 
astride  her  nose.  The  street  of  ihe  Two  Faces  has  a 
double  faced  human  head,  and  there  are  others  equally 
striking.  The  reason  for  this  kindergarten  sort  of 
nomenclature  was  because  when  the  streets  were  named 
the  great  mass  of  inhabitants  were  Indians  who  could 
not  read,  and  therefore  printed  signs  would  have  been 
no  use  to  them,  but  the  picture  of  a  bull,  a  flamingo,  or 
an  elephant  they  could  not  mistake. 

,>^       A  Moonless  Month. 
The  month  of  February  1866,  was  in  one  respect  the 
most  remarkable  in  the  world's  history.     It  had  no  full 
moon.    January  had  two  full  moons  and  so  had  March, 


!24  CURIOUS  FACTS 

but  February  had  none.  Do  you  realize  what  a  rare 
thing  in  nature  that  was?  It  had  not  occurred  since 
the  creation  of  the  world.  And  it  will  not  occur  again, 
according  to  the  computation  of  astronomers,  for — how 
long  do  you  think? — 2,500,000  years.  Was  not  that 
truly  a  wonderful  month? — Golden  Days. 

The   liength   of  the   Day. 

At  London,  England,  and  Bremen,  Prussia,  the  long- 
est day  has  sixteen  and  one-half  hours.  At  Stockholm, 
Sweden,  it  is  eighteen  and  one-half  hours  in  length.  At 
Hamburg  in  Germany  and  Dantzic  in  Prussia  the 
longest  day  has  seventeen  hours.  At  St.  Petersburg, 
Russia,  and  Tobolsk,  Siberia,  the  longest  is  nineteen 
hours  and  the  shortest  five  hours.  At  Tornea,  Finland, 
June  21  brings  a  day  nearly  twenty- two  hours  long,  and 
Christmas  one  less  than  three  hours  in  length.  At 
Wardbury,  Norway,  the  longest  day  lasts  from  May  21 
to  July  22  without  interruption,  and  in  Spitzbergen  the 
longest  day  is  three  and  one-half  months. 

At  St.  Louis  the  longest  day  is  somewhat  less  than 
fifteen  hours,  and  at   Montreal,   Canada,   it  is   sixteen. 

A  Child's  Vocabulary. 

Recently  I  became  interested  in  the  vocabulary  of 
my  boy,  30  months  old,  and  for  one  day  noted  all  words 
used  by  him,  except  proper  names.  No  effort  was  made 
to  exhaust  the  child's  stock  of  words  by  questioning. 
He  used  352  words,  of  which  fifty-four  per  cent,  were 
nouns,  eighteen  per  cent,  verbs,  and  eleven  adjectives. 
It  is  probable  that  the  child's  entire  vocabulary  of  dic- 
tionary words  includes  400  or  more. — Exchange. 

"  Higher    than    Gilderoy's    Kite." 

To  be  "  hung  higher  than  Gilderoy's  kite  "  means  to 
be  punished  more  severely  than  the  very  worst  of 
criminals.  "  The  greater  the  crime  the  higher  the  gal- 
lows "  was  at  one  time  a  practical  legal  axiom.  Haman, 
it  will  be  remembered,  was  hanged  on  a  very  high  gal- 
lows. The  gallows  of  Montrose  was  thirty  feet  high, 
The  ballad  says: 


CURIOUS  FACTS  :25 

Of  Gilderoy  sae  fraid  they  ware 
They  bound  him  mickle  strong, 

Tull  Edinburrow  they  led  him  thair, 
And  on  a  gallows  hong; 

They  hong  him  high  abone  the  rest, 
He  was  so  trim  a  boy. 

They  ''hong  him  high  abone  the  rest "  because  his 
crimes  were  deemed  to  be  more  heinous.  So  high  he 
hung,  he  looked  like  "  sl  kite  in  the  SiirJ'—Notes  and 
Queries. 

Animal  Peculiarities. 

Tortoises  and  turtles  have  no  teeth. 

All  animals  which  chew  the  cud  have  cloven  feet. 

Both  mandibles  of  the  parrot's  beak  are  movable,  but 
most  birds  are  able  to  move  only  one. 

The  horse  has  no  eyebrows.  The  appearance  of 
much  white  in  the  eye  of  a  horse  indicates  a  vicious 
nature. 

The  stork  is  partial  to  kittens  as  an  article  o£  food, 
and  finds  them  an  easy  and  wholesome  prey;  and  the 
cats  reciprocate  by  a  love  for  young  storks. 

The  frog,  owing  to  its  peculiar  structure,  cannot 
breathe  with  the  mouth  open,  and  if  it  were  forcibly 
kept  open  the  animal  would  die  of  suffocation. 

Whalebone  is  found  in  the  mouth  of  the  whalebone 
whale,  where  it  forms  the  substitute  for  the  teeth,  of 
which  otherwise  the  animal  is  destitute. 

Pigs  are  poor  swimmers,  their  forelegs  being  set 
closely  under  them,  and  when  they  fall  into  the  water 
they  sometimes  cut  their  throats  with  the  sharp  points 
of  their  cloven  feet. 

The  eyes  of  hares  are  never  closed,  as  they  are  un- 
provided with  eyelids.  Instead  thereof  they  have  a 
thin  membrane,  which  covers  the  eye  when  asleep,  and 
probably  also  when  at  rest. 

The  deer  is  furnished  with  supplementary  breathing 
places  in  addition  to  the  nostrils,  and  this  would  ap- 
pear to  be  an  extraordinary  provision  of  nature  giving 
the  beast  of  the  chase  a  freer  respiration. 

Fishes  swallow  their  food  hastily  and  without  mas- 
tication, because  they  are  obliged  unceasingly  to  ope^ 


tss6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

and  close  the  jaws  for  the  purpose  of  respiration,  and 
cannot  long  retain  food  in  the  mouth  when  quite  shut. 

The  faculty  the  chameleon  has  of  changing  its  color 
has  been  attributed  to  the  protective  instinct  of  the 
animal,  by  which  it  seeks  to  render  itself  less  observ- 
able by  enemies  by  assuming  the  color  of  the  bed  on 
which  it  lies. 

The  hump  on  the  back  of  the  dromedary  is  an  ac- 
cumulation of  a  peculiar  species  of  fat,  which  is  a  store 
of  nourishment  beneficently  provided  against  the  day 
of  want,  to  which  the  animal  is  often  exposed.  The 
dromedary  or  camel  can  exist  for  a  long  period  upon 
this  lump  without  any  other   food. 

The  owl  has  no  motion  in  the  eye,  the  globe  of 
which  is  immovably  fixed  in  its  socket  by  a  strong, 
elastic,  hard,  cartilaginous  case,  in  the  form  of  a  trun- 
cated cone ;  but  in  order  to  compensate  for  this  ab- 
sence of  motion  in  the  eye,  it  is  able  to  turn  its  head 
round  in  almost  a  complete  circle  without  moving  its 
body. 

Sheep  have  no  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw.  In  some  parts 
of  the  world  there  are  sheep  that  have  most  of  their 
fat  in  their  tails.  These  tails  weigh  so  much  that  they 
have  to  be  tied  on  small  carts,  which  the  sheep  draw 
after  them  when  they  walk.  The  carts  are  made  of  flat 
boards  on  two  wheels.  The  fat  of  the  tail  is  very  soft, 
and  is  used  as  butter. 

The  crocodile  devours  all  kinds  of  birds  it  can  get 
but  one,  the  zic-zac.  It  is  said  that  when  the  crocodile 
comes  on  shore  he  opens  his  jaws,  and  this  bird  enters 
and  swallows  the  leeches  which  are  found  about  the 
animal's  jaws  and  teeth,  and  which  have  collected  there 
owing  to  the  creature  being  for  so  long  a  time  in  the 
water.  The  relief  afforded  by  having  the  leeches  with- 
drawn induces  the  crocodile  to  tolerate  the  presence 
of  the  bird. — The  Zoologist. 

Early  Rising  Birds. 

The  thrush  is  audible  about  half-past  four  in  the 
morning. 

The  quail's  whistling  is  heard  in  the  woods  about 
three  o'clock. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^ 

The  blackcap  turns  up  at  half-past  two  on  a  summer 

morning. 

By  four,  the  blackbird  makes  the  woods  resound  with 
his  melody.  The  house  sparrow  and  tomtit  come  last 
in  the  list  as  early  rising  birds. 

At  short  intervals  after  half-past  four  the  voices  of 
the  robin  and  wren  are  heard  in  the  land. 

The  greenfinch  is  the  first  to  rise,  and  sings  as  early 
as  half-past  one  on  a  summer  morning. 

The  lark  does  not  rise  until  after  the  chaffinch,  linnet, 
and  a  number  of  other  hedgerow  folk  have  been  merrily 
piping  for  a  good  while. — Montreal  Star. 

Experiments  in  Tasting. 

From  some  experiments  made  at  the  University  of 
Kansas,  it  appears  that  the  average  person  can  taste 
the  bitter  of  quinine  when  one  part  is  dissolved  in 
152,000  parts  of  water.  Salt  was  detected  in  water 
when  one  part  to  640  of  the  liquid  was  used.  Sugar 
could  be  tasted  in  228  parts  of  water,  and  common 
soda  in  48.  In  nearly  all  cases  women  could  detect 
a  smaller  quantity  than  men. 

Origin  of  Slang  Terms. 

*'  Pow-wow "  comes  from  the  North  American  In- 
dians. 

To  "  nigg  at  whist "  means  to  renig,  that  is  Saxon 
for  deny. 

The  word  boss  comes  from  the  low  Dutch,  and  means 
master. 

Kidnap  comes  from  the  napping  or  stealing  of  a  kid, 
gypsy  for  child. 

Calaboose,  a  prison;  picaroon,  a  pirate;  palaver,  to 
talk,  are  all  Spanish. 

"  A  rum  chap  "  is  simply  a  gypsy  lad ;  it  has  no  re- 
lation to  the  product  of  the  still. 

"  Dude,"  meaning  a  dandy,  has  no  appreciable  de- 
rivation.    Like   Topsy,   it  growed. 

Pal  is  a  broiher,  and  "conk,"  for  nose,  comes  from 
the   spouting  fountain,  the  concha  of  the  Romans. 

Demijohn  comes  from  the  Arabic  damaghan,  itself 


28  CURIOUS  FACTS 

taken  from  the  Persian  glass-making  town  of  Dema- 
ghan. 

The  common  slang  word  "mash  "  is  from  a  beautiful 
gypsy  word,  "  mafada,"  which  means  "  to  charm  by  the 
eyes." 

Why  should  a  man  be  called  a  spoon?  Why  spoony 
when  he  is  making  love?  Simply  because  he  is  a 
"  loeffel,"  which  also  means  spoon. 

The  good  dictionary  word  "  vamp "  was  at  first  a 
slang  word,  being  rubbing  up  of  old  hats  and  shoes. 
Now,  from  being  a  cobbler's  word,  it  has  become  a 
classic,  and  we  talk  of  revamping  the  language. 

A  tinker's  dam  has  nothing  to  do  with  swearing.  It 
is  merely  the  dam  or  stoppage,  made  of  flour  and  water, 
with  which  the  tinker  stops  the  gap  he  is  mending  until 
the  tin  or  the  pewter  he  is   using  has  cooled. 

Many  people  sought  lately  for  the  familiar  '*  Praise 
from  Sir  Hubert,"  and  could  not  find  it.  The  true 
phrase  is  ''  Approbation  from  Sir  Hubert  Stanley  is 
praise  indeed,"  the  line  coming  from  ''  A  Cure  for  the 
Heartache,"   the  well  known  old  play. 

Gen.  Butler  is  to  be  accredited  with  the  discovery  that 
*'  contraband  of  war "  applied  to  a  runaway  nigger ; 
therefore  he  gave  a  new  word  to  the  language.  The 
necessity  of  the  occasion  produced  the  word,  and  a 
contraband  is  a  synonym  for  a  colored  man  at  Wash- 
ington to  this  day. 

The  Progress  of  Languages. 

The  progress  of  languages  spoken  by  different  nations 
is  said  to  be  as  follows:  English,  which  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  century  was  only  spoken  by  22,000,000 
of  people,  is  now  spoken  by  100,000.000.  Russian  is  now 
spoken  by  68,000,000,  against  30,000,000  at  the  beginning 
of  the  century.  In  1800  German  was  only  spoken  by 
35,000,000  of  people;  to-day  over  70,000,000  talk  in  the 
same  language  that  William  II.  does.  Spanish  is  ,now 
used  by  44,000,000  of  people,  against  30,000,000  in  1800; 
Italian  by  32,000,000  instead  of  18,000,000;  Portuguese 
by   13,000,000  instead  of  8,000,000. 

This  is  for  English  an  increase  of  312  per  cent.;  for 
Russian,  120  per  cent.;  for  German,  70  per  cent.;  for 


CURIOUS  FACTS  29 

Spanish^  36  per  cent.,  &c.  In  the  case  of  French  the 
increase  has  been  from  34,000,000  to  46,000,000,  or  36 
per  cent. — Boston  Herald. 

Steal  My  Thunder. 

For  the  origin  of  the  phrase,  "steal  my  thunder,"  we 
quote  from  Disraeli's  "  Calamities  of  Authors :"  **  The 
actors  refused  to  perform  one  of  John  Dennis'  tragedies 
to  empty  houses,  but  they  retained  some  excellent 
thunder  which  Dennis  had  invented;  it  rolled  one  night 
when  Dennis  was  in  the  pit,  and  it  was  applauded. 
Suddenly   starting  up,   he   cried  to   the   audience,   '  By 

,  they   won't   act   my   tragedy,   but   they   steal   my 

thunder.'  " 

The  Vo's  and  the  Mo's. 

Every  reader  of  a  newspaper  which  notices  new  books 
frequently  meets  the  terms  quarto,  octavo,  duodecimo, 
etc.,  or  their  abbreviations,  4to,  8vo,  i2mo,  etc.  This 
is  the  mode  by  which  the  size  of  a  book  is  designated 
in  print.  These  mo's  and  vo's  indicate  the  number  of 
leaves  in  a  sheet,  and  correspond  to  the  leaves,  not  the 
pages  which  a  sheet  contains.  Take  a  sheet  of  a  given 
size,  say  a  medium,  and  give  it  one  fold,  like  a  common 
newspaper,  and  you  have  a  folio,  with  two  leaves; 
give  it  another,  and  you  have  a  quarto  (4to),  with  four 
leaves;  give  it  another  fold,  and  you  have  an  octavo 
(8vo),  or  eight  leaves,  and  so  on.  By  another  mode  of 
folding  you  obtain  a  i2mo,  i6mo,  etc.,  and  by  another 
again  i8mo,  etc.  These  figures  and  letters,  though  ab- 
breviations of  Latin  words,  are  ordinarily,  in  these 
days,  turned  into  rather  barbarous  English  by  printers 
and  publishers  for  the  sake  of  brevity.  Thus  they  say 
a  i2mo,  a  24mo,  a  48mo,  instead  of  a  duodecimo,  etc. 

Phenomenal  Hand  at  Whist. 

The  phenomenon  of  thirteen  trumps  in  a  hand  at 
whist  occurred  in  the  United  Service  Club  at  Calcutta, 
on  January  9,  1888.  A  judge  and  three  physicians  were 
the  players,  and  they  and  the  witnesses  made  due 
record  of  it.  The  pack  was  perfectly  shuffled  and  cut, 
^d  the  dealer  held  the  hand,  turning  up  the  knave  of 


30  CURIOUS  FACTS 

clubs.    Pole  has  calculated  that  the  chance  of  this  event 
occurring  is  one  in  158,750,000,000. — New  York  Sun. 

Language  of  the  Parasol. 

According  to  an  English  authority  the  language  of 
the  parasol  is :  Indifference,  handle  resting  on  the 
shoulder ;  ''  I  dare  every  danger,"  high  above  the  head ; 
"  I  would  lean  on  your  arm,"  dropping  it  to  the  right ; 
"  I  brave  everything  for  you,"  shut ;  "  I  love  you,"  car- 
ried in  the  arms;  "  I  could  beat  you,"  held  by  the  point; 
'  I  despise  you,"  held  like  a  cane ;  ''  I  hate  you,"  beat- 
ing the  toes. — New  York  Sun. 

What's   a  Flame? 

Combustion  is  in  some  way  produced  by  the  union  of 
carbon  and  hydrogen  with  oxygen.  When  the  com- 
bustible materials  are  consumed,  or  the  supply  of  oxy- 
gen is  insufficient  to  continue  the  flame,  the  "  fire 
goes  out."    The  best  philosopher  can  tell  little  more. 

Similarity  of  Proverbs. 

Examples  of  ideas  which  seem  to  be  indigenous  to 
all  countries  occur  to  the  mind  in  bewildering  redun- 
dancy. "  One  swallow  does  not  make  a  spring "  we 
find  alike  in  English,  German,  and  Russian.  In  the 
sunny  south  it  takes  the  form,  "  One  flower  does  not 
make  a  garland."  In  Italy  we  find  "  He  who  grasps  all, 
less  gets,"  in  France,  "  He  who  embraces  too  much  binds 
badly,"  and  in  our  own  country,  "  Grasp  all,  lose  all." 
Our  "  Birds  of  a  feather  flock  together  "  is  represented 
by  the  Italian,  ''  Every  like  covers  its  like;"  the  Greek, 
"A  comrade  loves  a  comrade;"  the  French,  ''Qui  se 
rassemble,  s'assemble."  Plato  declared  more  than  2000 
years  ago  that  "  A  beginning  is  half  of  all,"  and  he 
has  found  an  echo  in  our  ''  What's  begun  is  half  done," 
and  in  the  Italian,  "  Who  commences  well  is  at  the  half 
of  the  task." 

There  is  true  Oriental  ring  about  such  proverbs  as 
"  Among  the  sandal  trees  are  deadly  serpents,"  "  Rivers 
have  lotuses,  but  also  alligators."  It  is  needless  to  sug- 
gest the  western  correlatives.  "  By  a  number  of  straws 
twisted   together   elephants   can   be   bound/*    is   again 


CURIOUS  PACTS  3* 

only  the  Indian  form  of  the  Scotch,  "  Many  a  little 
makes  a  mickle." 

The  Greeks,  wishing  to  cast  doubts  upon  a  man's 
probity,  declared  him  to  be  "  A  sheep  with  a  fox's 
tail,"  which  answers  to  our  "  Wolf  in  sheep's  cloth- 
ing," and  the  French,  "  II  fait  is  bon  apotre."  The 
familiar  "  Finis  coronet  opus "  has  passed  by  literal 
translation  into  French  and  Russian.  '*  All's  well  that 
ends  well,"  bears  a  strong  likeness  to  the  German 
**  Ende  gut  Alles  gut."  There  is  a  lengthy  Oriental 
proverb,  **  Let  a  cur's  tail  be  warmed,  pressed  out 
straight,  and  swathed  with  bandages;  if  released  after 
twelve  years  it  will  nevertheless  return  to  its  natural 
shape."  It  is  easy  to  trace  the  similarity  of  our  idea 
*'  You  cannot  make  a  silk  purse  out  of  a  sow's  ear." 
"  Man  proposes,  God  disposes,"  appears  in  the  German, 
while  in  Russian  it  takes  the  form,  "  God  makes  the 
crooked  arrow  straight."  ''  Charity  begins  at  home " 
in  Russian  assumes  the  more  graphic  and  suggestive 
form,   "  One's  own  shirt  is  nearest  to  one's  body." 

We  discourage  carrying  "  coals  to  Newcastle,"  the 
French  deprecate  taking  "  water  to  the  river."  We 
"drink  as  we  brew,"  or  would  if  we  could;  the  French 
'*  sleep  on  the  bed  as  they  have  made  it.'*  The  old 
Athenian  was  as  much  concerned  to  see  a  bull  in  the 
city  as  we  are  when  that  quadruped  appears  in  a  china 
shop.  With  us  "  still  waters  run  deep  " ;  in  Russia  they 
"  swarm  with  devils,"  a  much  more  vigorous  figure. — 
The  Examiner. 

Mechanism  of  the  Heart. 

In  the  human  subject  the  average  rapidity  of  the 
cardiac  pulsation  of  an  adult  male  is  about  seventy 
beats  per  minute.  These  beats  are  more  frequent  as  a 
rule  in  young  children  ^  and  in  women,  and  there  are 
variations,  within  certain  limits,  in  particular  persons 
owing  to  peculiarities  of  organization.  It  would  not 
necessarily  be  an  abnormal  sign  to  find  in  S'ome  par- 
ticular individuals  the  habitual  frequency  of  the  heart's 
action  from  sixty  to  sixty-five  or  from  seventy-five  to 
eighty  per  minute.  As  a  rule,  the  heart's  action  is 
slower  and  more  powerful  in  fully  developed  and  mus- 


'32  CURIOUS  FACTS 

ctilar  organizations,  and  more  rapid  and  feebler  in  those 
of  slighter  form. 

In  animals  the  range  is  from  twenty-five  to  forty-five 
in  the  cold  blooded,  and  fifty  upward  in  the  warm 
blooded,  except  in  the  case  of  a  horse,  which  has  a  very 
slow  heart  beat,  only  forty  strokes  a  minute.  The  pul- 
sations of  men  and  all  animals  differ  with  the  sea 
level  also.  The  work  of  a  healthy  human  heart  has 
been  shown  to  be  equal  to  the  feat  of  raising  five  tons 
four  hundredweight  one  foot  per  hour,  or  125  tons  in 
twenty-four  hours. 

A  curious  calculation  has  been  made  by  Dr.  Richard- 
son, giving  the  work  of  the  heart  in  mileage.  Presum- 
ing that  the  blood  was  thrown  out  of  the  heart  at  each 
pulsation  in  the  proportion  of  sixty-nine  strokes  per 
minute,  and  at  the  assumed  force  of  nine  feet,  the 
mileage  of  the  blood  through  the  body  might  be  taken 
as  207  yards  per  minute,  7  miles  per  hour,  168  miles 
per  day,  61,320  miles  per  year,  or  5,150,880  miles  in  a 
lifetime,  84  years.  The  number  of  beats  of  the  heart 
in. the  same  long  life  would  reach  the  grand  total  of 
2,869,776,000. — Medical  World. 

A  Watch  Without  Hands. 

The  watch  without  hands,  which  has  recently  been 
brought  before  the  public,  is  simply  a  watch  with 
ordinary  wheelwork,  in  which  the  intermediate  teeth 
are  wanting,  and  which  gear  every  minute  and  hour 
only.  The  contrivance,  though  admitted  to  possess 
some  inconveniences,  is,  on  the  other  hand,  claimed 
to  present  some  genuine  preferences  over  the  ordinary 
make.  Thus,  the  construction  not  only  allows  the  reced- 
ing to  be  accurate,  but  also  permits  o£  estimating  the 
time  that  separate's  each  passing  minute.  There  is  not 
only  an  optical  signal  given,  but  also  an  acoustic  one, 
since  at  every  change  of  figure  the  ear  perceives  a  slight 
sound,  and  consequently  it  becomes  useless  for  one  to 
examine  his  watch  in  order  to  measure  a  given  interval 
of  time — a  feature  of  special  value  to  engineers,  phy- 
sicians, officers,  travellers,  and  observers.  The  experi- 
menter knows  exactly  when  a  minute  begins  and  ends. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  33 

To  be  Avoided* 

Don't  use  obsolete  words. 

Don't  use  technical   terms. 

Don't  use   slang   expressions. 

Don't  write  a  feeble  sentence. 

Don't  write  a  clumsy   sentence. 

Don't  say  commence  for  begin. 

Don't  write  an  obscure  sentence. 

Don't  say  vituperation  for  abuse. 

Don't  say  initiate  for  commence. 

Don't  use  foreign  words  or  phrases. 

Don't  take  an  impracticable  position. 

Don't  say   "  Bard   of   Florence "    for   Dante. 

Don't  tempt  one  to  question  your  veracity. 

A  Glance  at  the  Camel. 

A  camel's  hind  legs  will  reach  anywhere — over  his 
head,  round  his  chest,  and  on  to  his  hump ;  even  when 
lying  down  an  evil  disposed  animal  will  shoot  out 
his  legs  and  bring  you  to  a  sitting  posture.  His  neck 
is  of  the  same  pliancy.  He  will  chew  the  root  of  his 
tail,  nip  you  in  the  calf,  or  lay  the  top  of  his  head  on 
his  hump.  He  also  bellows  and  roars  at  you,  what- 
ever you  are  doing — saddling  him,  feeding  him,  mount- 
ing him,  unsaddling  him.  To  the  uninitiated  a  camel 
going  for  one  with  his  mouth  open  and  gurgling  hor- 
ribly is  a  terrifying  spectacle ;  but  do  not  mind  him,  it 
is  only  his  way.  I  heard  of  one  or  two  men  having  a 
leg  broken  from  a  kick  at  various  times,  but  it  was 
the  exception  and  not  the  rule,  for  a  camel  is  really 
a  very  docile  animal,  and  learns  to  behave  himself  in 
most  trying  positions  with  equanimity,  though  I  fear  it 
is  only  the  result  of  want  of  brains. — Count  Gleichen. 

Bomestic  Animals  of  Ancient  Peruvians. 

Herr  Nehring,  speaking  of  the  domestic  animals  of 
the  ancient  Peruvians,  observed  that  the  subject  was 
scientifically  important,  because  all  the  other  peoples  of 
ancient  America  were  very  poor  in  this  kind  of  prop- 
erty as  compared  with  the  Peruvians  and  Bolivians 
and  some  of  the  Central  American  peoples;  and,  sec- 


34  CURIOUS  FACTS 

ondly,  because  the  influence  of  domestication  on  the  for- 
mation ofi  races  could  be  better  followed  on  these  ani- 
mals than  on  those  of  the  Old  World.  We  are  concerned 
in  Peru  especially  with  the  dog,  llama,  alpaca,  and 
guinea  pig.  The  speaker  had  examined  eighteen  dog 
mummies  from  ancient  Peruvian  graves,  and  had  de- 
termined that  they  belonged  to  three  different  races — 3. 
shepherd's  dog,  a  dachshund,  and  a  bull  dog  or  pug. 
He  believed  that  the  ''  Inca  dog  "  was  derived,  not  from 
South  American  Canidse,  but  from  the  Mexican  wolf 
{Lupus  occidentaMs)y  perhaps  through  the  feebler 
Texan  variety;  and  that  several  races  had  been  formed 
from  it  in   Peru  through  domestication. 

Hog  Breeding. 

Some  rather  startling  computations  have  been  made 
on  the  subject  of  hog  breeding.  It  has  been  found  that, 
if  permitted,  hogs  will  live  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years 
of  age,  that  they  commence  breeding  when  they  are 
from  nine  to  twelve  months  old,  and  that  from  one 
pair  only,  in  ten  years,  allowing  only  six  to  a  litter, 
male  and  female,  upwards  of  6,434,838  pigs  would  be 
obtained;  that  is  to  say  that,  if,  instead  of  three  acres 
and  a  cow,  a  countryman  started  with  some  acres  and 
a  pair  of  pigs,  he  might  in  the  course  of  ten  years 
count  their  progeny  by  millions.  This  is  not  reckoning 
on  any  out-of-the-way  basis,  for  it  has  been  shown  that 
one  sow  actually  produced  355  pigs  in  twenty  litters; 
while  at  an  exhibition  of  the  Agricultural  Society  a 
boar  was  shown  which,  although  only  twenty  months 
old,  was  already  the  father  of  1466  hogs.  Here,  then, 
is  wealth  for  the  million. 

Antiquity  of  Gold. 

Gold  is  first  mentioned  in  the  eleventh  verse  of  the 
second  chapter  of  Genesis,  4004  years  before  Christ.  It 
is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  elements  of  Abram's  riches 
in  Genesis,  thirteenth  chapter,  second  verse,  1918  years 
before  Christ.  The  Egyptians  used  gold  as  money  at  a 
very  early  but  unknown  period,  but  first  in  the  form 
of  rings,  which  opened  and  could  be  strung  together. 
It  is  probable  that  gold  was  used  as  money  at  the  time 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^  Jg' 

Abraham  bought  the  field  of  Machpelah,  though  he  paid 
for  that  in  silver  '*  current  with  the  merchant."  That 
was  1875  years  before  Christ.  This  probably  is  in- 
creased by  the  fact  above  stated  that  gold  was  reckoned 
as  a  part  of  the  riches  of  Abram.  According  to  Herod- 
otus, the  invention  of  the  coinage  of  gold  belongs  to 
Lydia,  about  750  years  before  Christ.  High  authority 
says  that  gold  was  first  coined  in  the  Island  of  ^gina, 
and  other  authorities  say  the  Persians  first  coined  gold. 
And  very  high  authority  says  the  first  coinage  of  gold 
was  at  Miletus.  But  the  fact  of  the  first  coinage  of 
gold  has  never  been  and  probably  never  will  be  cer- 
tainly ascertained. 

Wonders  of  the  Sea. 

Oceans  occupy  three-fourths  of  the  earth's  surface. 
At  the  depth  of  3500  feet  waves  are  not  felt.  The 
temperature  is  the  same,  varying  only  a  trifle,  from  the 
poles  to  the  burning  sun  of  the  equator. 

A  mile  down  the  water  has  a  pressure  of  a  ton  on 
every  square  inch.  If  a  box  six  feet  deep  were  filled 
with  sea  water  and  allowed  to  evaporate,  there  would 
be  two  inches  of  salt  left  on  the  bottom  of  the  box. 
Taking  the  average  depth  of  the  oceans  of  the  world 
to  be  three  miles,  there  would  be  a  layer  of  salt  230 
feet  thick  over  the  entire  bed  should  the  water 
evaporate.  The  water  of  the  ocean  is  colder  at  the 
bottom  than  at  the  surface.  In  many  places,  especially 
in  the  bays  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  the  water  freezes 
at  the  bottom  before  it  does  above. 

Waves  are  very  deceptive.  To  look  at  them  in  a  storm 
one  would  think  the  whole  water  travelled.  The  water 
stays  in  the  same  place,  but  the  motion  goes  on.  Some- 
times in  storms  these  waves  are  forty  feet  high,  and 
travel  fifty  miles  per  hour — nearly  twice  as  fast  as  the 
fleetest  steamship.  The  base  of  a  wave — ^the  distance 
from  valley  to  valley  on  either  side  at  the  bottom — is 
generally  reckoned  at  being  fifteen  times  the  height, 
therefore  an  average  wave,  say  one  twenty-five  feet  high, 
has  a  base  extending  over  375  feet.  The  force  of  waves 
breaking  on  the  shore  is  said  to  be  seventeen  tons  to 
the  square  yard. 


36  CURIOUS  FACTS 

What  Invention  has  Done. 

In  making  bread  boxes  three  workers  can  do  tfie 
work  of  thirteen  box  makers  by  old  methods. 

In  cutting  out  clothing  and  cloth  caps  with  dies  one 
worker  does  the  work  of  three  by  old  methods. 

In  leather  manufacture  modern  methods  have  reduced 
the  necessary  number  of  workers  from  5  to  50  per  cent. 

A  carpet  measuring  and  brushing  machine  with  one 
operator  will  do  the  work  of  fifteen  men  by  the  old 
methods. 

In  the  manufacture  of  flour  modern  improvements 
save  75  per  cent,  of  the  manual  labor  that  once  was 
necessary. 

In  making  tin  cans  one  man  and  a  boy,  with  modern 
appliances,  can  do  the  work  of  ten  workers  by  the  old 
process. 

By  the  use  of  coal  mining  machines  160  miners  can 
mine  as  much  coal  in  the  same  time  as  500  miners  by 
the  old  methods. 

One  boy,  by  machinery,  in  turning  wood  work  and 
materials  for  musical  instruments,  performs  the  work 
of  twenty-five  men  by  the  old  methods. 

In  the  manufacture  of  loots  and  shoes  the  work  of 
500  operatives  is  now  done  by  100,  a  displacement  of 
wage  earners  of  80  per  cent,  by  aid  of  machinery. 

In  nailing  on  shoe  heels  one  worker  and  a  boy,  with 
machinery,  can  heel  300  pairs  of  shoes  per  day.  It 
would  require  five  workers  to  do  the  same  by  hand. 

In  stave  dressing  twelve  colaborers,  with  a  machine, 
can  dress  12,000  staves  in  the  same  time  that  the  same 
number  of  workers  by  hand  could  dress  2500  staves. 

In  the  cotton  mills  in  the  United  States  the  manual 
labor  has  been  reduced  about  50  per  cent.  Now  one 
weaver  manages  from  two  to  ten  looms,  where  one 
loom  was  formerly  tended  by  one  worker. 

In  the  manufacture  of  brick  improved  devices  save 
one-tenth  of  the  labor,  and  in  the  manufacturing  of  fire 
brick  40  per  cent,  of  the  manual  labor  is  displaced. 

In  the  manufacture  of  carriages  it  used  to  take  one 
man  thirty-five  days  to  make  a  carriage.  It  is  now 
made  by  the  aid  of  machinery  with  the  work  of  one  mam 
in  twelve  days. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  37 

In  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements  600 
operatives,  with  machinery,  including  eighteen  classes 
of  wage  earners,  do  the  work  of  2145  wage  earners 
without  machinery,  displacing  1545  workers. 

The  introduction  of  machinery  in  the  manufacture  of 
children's  shoes  during  the  last  thirty  years  has  dis- 
placed six  times  the  manual  labor  now  required,  and 
the  product  of  manufacture  has  been  reduced  fifiy  per 
cent,  to  the  consumer. 

In  the  manufacture  of  wall  paper  one  worker,  by  the 
aid  of  machinery,  does  the  work  of  100  workers  by 
manual  labor,  and  in  cutting  and  drying  paper  by 
machinery  four  men  and  six  girls  do  the  work  of  100 
operators  by  old  methods. 

In  manufacturing  gun  stocks  one  man  by  manual 
labor  was  able  to  turn  and  fit  one  gun  stock  in  one 
day  of  ten  hours,  while  three  men  now,  by  a  division 
of  labor  and  the  use  of  machinery,  can  turn  and  fit 
125  to  150  gun  stocks  in  ten  hours.  This  displaces  the 
work  of  forty-four  to  forty-nine  wage  workers. 

Who  Invented  Spectacles? 

To  this  question  an  answer  has  been  given  by  the 
Italians  in  favor  of  one  of  themselves.  In  Florence, 
in  a  little  street,  a  memorial  tablet  has  been  inserted  in 
the  fagade  of  one  of  the  houses,  and  bears  the  following 
inscription :  "  To  honor  the  memory  of  Salvino  degli 
Armati,  inventor  of  spectacles  in  the  thirteenth  century. 
The  Guild  of  Artisans,  on  the  spot  once  occupied  by 
the  houses  of  the  Armati,  placed  this  tablet,  on  the 
5th  day  of  July  1885." 

Invention   of   Onmibnses. 

The  invention  of  omnibuses  is  due  to  the  philosopher 
Pascal,  who,  in  February  1667,  obtained  a  "  privilege  '* 
or  a  patent  for  public  carriages  to  travel  through  certain 
streets  of  Paris.  They  held  eight  passengers,  who  paid 
six  sous  each,  and  were  very  successful,  although  an 
act  of  parliament  of  Paris  forbade  them  being  used  by 
lackeys,  soldiers,  and  other  humble  folks.  Pascal  died 
in  1667,  and  his  useful  invention  did  not  long  survive 


38  CURIOUS  FACTS 

him.  The  omnibus  reappeared  in  London  about  the 
beginning  of  the  century,  and  was  adopted  in  several 
French  provincial  towns  before  Paris  accepted  it  again. 

Invention  of  Felt. 

According  to  Professor  Beekman  felt  was  invented 
before  weaving.  The  middle  and  northern  regions  of 
Asia  are  occupied  by  Tartars  and  other  populous  na- 
tions, whose  manners  and  customs  appear  to  have  con- 
tinued unchanged  from  the  most  remote  antiquity,  and 
to  whose  Simple  and  uniform  mode  of  existence  this 
article  seems  to  be  as  necessary  as  food.  Felt  is  the 
principal  substance  both  of  their  clothing  and  of  their 
habitations. 

Inventors  who  have  made  Money. 

The  business  of  inventor  pays  a  smaller  average  profit 
than  any  other  business  in  the  United  States,  because 
there  are  so  many  failures  to  one  success.  But  the  in- 
ventor of  the  Hoe  printing  press  made  $300,000.  Thomas 
Silverman,  a  poor  mechanic,  made  $70,000  from  copper 
toed  shoes  for  children.  The  horseshoer,  Henry  Bur- 
ton, made  $900,000  from  his  manufactured  horse  shoes. 
The  inventor  of  the  slylographic  pen  has  made  $1,- 
000,000.  Edison  has  made  $5,000,000,  and  his  inventions 
have  benefited  the  world  ten  times  as  much. 

Thomas  Jefferson  was  the  father  of  the  American 
patent  system;  he  drew  up  the  earliest  patent  laws,  and 
while  he  was  Secretary  of  State  under  Washington,  he 
gave  his  personal  consideration  to  every  application  that 
was  made  for  a  patent. 

Doctors'  Bills  in  China. 

We  Occidentals  only  pay  our  doctors  when  we  are 
sick,  and  sometimes  not  even  then.  The  Celestial 
method,  as  shown  by  the  example  of  the  Emperor  of 
China,  is  to  pay  the  doctor  only  when  one  is  well. 

As  soon  as  the  Emperor  is  sick  it  is  a  notification 
to  his  physicians  that  their  salary  is  cut  off  till  he  is 
perfectly  well  again.  The  passionate  zeal  with  which 
the  regulars  go  to  work  to  get  his  majesty  back  where 


CURIOUS  FACTS  39 

their  salaries  will  begin  again  is  said  to  be  something 
astounding.  The  result  is  that  the  Emperor  is  about  the 
healthiest  man  standing  on  this  planet,  and  his  phy- 
sicians seldom  lose  a  day's  salary. 

The  Chinese  have  no  Werves. 

The  Chinaman  can  write  all  day,  he  can  work  all 
day,  he  can  stand  for  a  whole  day  in  one  position, 
weaving,  hammering  gold,  or  cutting  ivory,  without 
once  being  attacked  by  nervousness.  This  peculiarity 
makes  itself  apparent  in  early  youth.  The  Chinaman 
can  bear  any  kind  of  bodily  exercise.  Sport  and  play 
are  to  him  unnecessary  labor.  He  can  sleep  anywhere 
and  in  any  position — amid  thundering  machines,  deaf- 
ening noises,  the  cry  of  children,  or  the  wrangle  of 
grown  people;  on  the  ground,  in  bed,  or  on  a  chair. 
In  his  own  innocent  way  the  Chinaman  is  almost  a 
Sybarite. 

Secret  of  Health  in  China. 

The  Chinese  live  in  houses  where  the  supply  of  air 
is  so  limited  that  no  European  could  endure  the  vitiated 
atmosphere;  yet  they  are  a  very  healthy  nation.  This 
is  due  probably  to  the  fact  that  their  food  is  invariably 
simple  and  clean  and  thoroughly  well  cooked.  Meat, 
potatoes,  and  rice  are  all  boiled  together.  When  cooked 
the  mixture  is  put  into  small  bowls,  and  as  it  is  eaten 
with  tiny  chopsticks,  it  is  impossible  to  try  the  mouth 
or  stomach  by  scalding  them  with  a  quantity  of  very 
hot  food.  Moreover,  they  rarely  drink  water  if  they 
can  get  tea,  either  hot  or  cold. 

Plain  Words  about  Peking. 

Some  of  the  daily  sights  of  the  pedestrian  in  Peking 
could  not  hardly  be  more  than  hinted  at  by  one  man 
to  another  in  the  smoking  room.  There  is  no  sewer  or 
cesspool,  public  or  private,  but  the  street;  the  dog,  the 
pig,  and  the  fowl  are  the  scavengers;  every  now  and 
then  you  pass  a  man  who  goes  along,  tossing  the  most 
loathsome  of  the  refuse  into  an  open  work  basket  on 
his  back;  the  smells  are  simply  awful;  the  city  is  one 
colossal  and  uncleansed  cloaca, — Pall  Mall  Gazette, 


40 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


The  Woman  does  the  Courting. 

In  the  Ukraine,  Russia,  the  maiden  is  the  one  that 
does  all  the  courting.  When  she  falls  in  love  with  a 
man  she  goes  to  his  house  and  tells  him  the  state  of 
her  feelings.  If  he  reciprocates  all  is  well,  and  a 
formal  marriage  is  duly  arranged.  If,  however,  he  is 
unwilling,  she  remains  there,  hoping  to  coax  him  into 
a  better  mind.  The  poor  fellow  cannot  treat  her  with 
the  least  discourtesy  or  turn  her  out,  for  her  friends 
would  be  sure  to  avenge  the  insult.  His  best  chance, 
therefore,  if  he  is  really  determined  that  he  won't,  is  to 
leave  his  home  and  stay  away  as  long  as  she  is  in  it. 
This  is  certainly  a  peculiar  way  of  turning  a  man  out 
of  house  and  home.  On  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  either 
sex  can  do  the  courting,  with  the  natural  result  that 
almost  everybody  gets  married.  There  is  not  quite 
the  same  chance  where  the  girl  has  to  bide  the  notions 
of  a  hesitating  or  bashful  swain. — Exchange. 

Wonderful  Echoes, 

Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  phenomenon  of  echoes. 
In  a  cave  in  the  Pantheon,  the  guide,  by  striking  the 
flap  of  his  coat,  makes  a  noise  equal  to  a  twelve-pound 
cannon's  report.  The  singularity  is  noticed,  in  a  lesser 
degree,  in  the  Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky.  In  the 
cave  of  Smellin,  near  Viborg,  in  Finland,  a  cat  or  a  dog 
thrown  in  will  make  a  screaming  echo,  lasting  some 
minutes.  Pliny  tells  of  a  cave  in  Dalmatia  where  a 
stone  tossed  in  would  raise  a  perfect  storm.  FingaFs 
Cave,  on  the  Isle  of  Staffa,  has  an  abnormally  developed 
echo. 

A  Chinese  Millionaire. 

The  honesty  of  the  Chinese  in  their  business  dealings 
is  shown  in  the  actions  of  Hou  Qua,  the  Canton  million- 
aire, who  died  a  few  years  ago,  leaving  at  least  $50,- 
000,000.  One  of  the  Chinese  firms  of  Canton  had  failed, 
owing  a  great  sum  to  foreigners.  Hou  Qua  got  up  a 
subscription  and  paid  the  whole  indebtedness.  He 
headed  the  list  of  subscribers  with  $1,000,000  out  of  his 
own  pocket,  saying  that  *'  Chinese  credit  must  remain 
untarnished."     This  is  the  same  man  who,  when  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  41 

English  were  about  to  bombard  Canton  unless  their  de- 
mand of  $6,000,000  was  paid  within  forty-eight  hours^ 
headed  the  subscription  list  with  the  sum  of  $i,ioo,ooa 
"  I  give,"  said  he,  "  $800,000  as  a  thank  offering  for  the 
business  prosperity  I  have  had.  I  give  $100,000  as  a 
testimony  of  the  fidelity  of  my  son,  and  $200,000  as  a 
mark  of  the  affection  which  I  bear  my  wife."  This 
man,  Hon  Qua,  though  dead,  is  still  greatly  honored 
in  Canton.  His  gardens  there  are  among  the  sights 
of  the  city,  and  his  name  is  synonymous  with  business 
honor. — Frank  G.  Carpenter. 

Farm  Life  in  China. 

A  farmer  may  be  hired  by  the  year  for  from  $5.00 
to  $10.00  with  food,  clothing,  head  shaving,  and  tobacco. 
Those  who  work  by  the  day  receive  from  8  to  10  cents, 
with  a  noonday  meal.  At  the  planting  and  harvesting 
of  rice,  wages  are  from  10  to  20  cents  a  day,  with  five 
meals;  or  30  cents  a  day  without  food.  Few  land 
owners  hire  hands,  except  for  a  few  days  during  the 
planting  and  harvesting  of  rice.  Those  who  have  more 
land  than  they  and  their  sons  can  till,  lease  it  to  their 
neighbors. 

Much  land  is  held  on  leases  given  by  ancient  pro- 
prietors to  clansmen  whose  descendants  now  till  it, 
paying  from  $5  to  $10  worth  of  rice  annually  for  its 
use. 

Food  averages  little  more  than  $1.00  a  month  for  each 
member  of  a  farmer's  family.  One  who  buys,  cooks 
and  eats  his  meals  alone,  spends  from  $1.50  to  $2.00 
a  month  upon  the  raw  material  and  fuel.  Two  pounds 
of  rice,  costing  zVz  cents,  with  relishes  of  salt  fish, 
pickled  cabbage,  cheap  vegetables,  and  fruits,  costing 
1V2  cents,  is  the  ordinary  allowance  to  each  laborer  for 
each  day.  Abernethy's  advice  to  a  luxurious  patient, 
"  Live  on  sixpence  a  day  and  earn  it,"  is  followed  by 
nearly  every  Chinaman.  One  or  two  dependent  rela- 
tives frequently  share  with  him  the  12  cents. — Adele 
M.  Field. 

Chinese  Beggars. 

Large  donations  are  given  to  the  beggars  of  China 
by  the  people,  but  these  are  in  the  nature  of  an  in- 


42  CURIOUS  FACTS 

surance.  In  the  cities  the  beggars  are  organized  into 
very  powerful  guilds,  more  powerful  by  far  than  any 
organization  with  which  they  can  have  to  contend,  for 
the  beggars  have  nothing  to  lose  and  nothing  to  fear, 
in  which  respects  they  stand  alone.  The  shopkeeper 
who  should  refuse  a  donation  to  a  stalwart  beggar, 
after  the  latter  had  waited  for  a  reasonable  time  and 
has  besought  with  what  the  lawyers  call  ''  due  dili- 
gence," would  be  liable  to  invasion  from  a  horde  of 
famished  wretches,  who  would  render  the  existence 
even  of  a  stolid  Chinese  a  burden,  and  who  would 
utterly  prevent  the  transaction  of  any  business  until 
their  continually  rising  demands  should  be  met.  Both 
the  shopkeepers  and  the  beggars  understand  this  per- 
fectly well,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  the  gifts  flow 
in  a  steady,  if  tiny,  rill. 

Watch  and  Clock  Dials. 

It  is  a  tradition  among  watchmakers  that  the  first 
clock  that  in  any  way  resembled  those  now  in  use  was 
made  by  Henry  Vick,  in  1370.  He  made  it  for  Charles 
V.  of  France,  who  has  been  called  '*  The  Wise." 

Now  Charles  was  wise  in  a  good  many  ways.  He 
was  wise  enough  to  recover  from  England  most  of 
the  land  which  Edward  HI.  had  conquered,  and  he  did 
a  good  many  other  things  which  benefited  France.  But 
his  early  education  had  been  somewhat  neglected,  and 
he  probably  would  have  had  trouble  in  passing  a  civil 
service  examination  in  these  enlightened  ages.  Still 
he  had  a  reputation  for  wisdom,  and  thought  that  it 
was  necessary,  in  order  to  keep  it  up,  that  he  should 
also  be  supposed  to  possess  book  learning.  The  latter 
was  a  subject  he  was  extremely  touchy  about. 

So  the  story  runs  in  this  fashion,  although  I  will  not 
vouch  for  the  language,  but  put  it  in  that  of  the  present 
day : 

"  Yes,  the  clock  works  well,"  said  Charles,  "  but," 
being  anxious  to  find  some  fault  with  a  thing  he  did 
not  understand,  "  you  have  got  the  figures  on  the  dial 
wrong." 

"Wherein,  your  majesty?"   asked  Vick. 

"  That  four  should  be  four  ones/'  said  the  king. 


CURIOUS  FACTS.  43 

"  You  are  wrong,  your  majesty,"  said  Vick. 

"  I  am  never  wrong,"  thundered  the  king.  "  Take  it 
away  and  correct  the  mistake !  "  and  corrected  it  was, 
and  from  that  day  to  this  4  o'clock  on  a  watch  or 
clock  dial  has  been  IIII.  instead  of  IV.  The  tradition 
has  been  faithfully  followed. 

Girls  Kept  in  Cages  in  New  Britain. 

The  inhabitants,  it  is  said  by  Wallace,  have  a  peculiar 
custom  of  confining  their  girls  in  cages  until  they  are 
old  enough  to  be  married.  This  custom  is  said  to  be 
peculiar  to  the  people  of  New  Britain.  The  cages  are 
made  of  the  palm  tree,  and  the  girls  are  put  into  them 
when  two  or  three  years  of  age.  These  cages  are  built 
inside  of  the  houses,  and  the  girls  are  never  allowed  to 
leave  the  house  under  any  circumstances.  The  houses 
are  closely  fenced  in  with  a  sort  of  wicker  work  made 
of  reeds.  Ventilation  under  the  circumstances  is  ren- 
dered difficult.  The  girls  are  said  to  grow  up  strong 
and  healthful  in  spite  of  these  disadvantages. 

The  Juggler  and  the  Scotchman. 

One  of  his  most  surprising  feats  was  performed  on 
one  of  our  party,  a  Scotchman  named  M'Farlane. 
Placing  in  M'Farlane's  hands  three  pice — small  copper 
coins  equal  to  one  farihing  (Vg  cent)  in  value — he  re- 
quested the  Scotchman  to  hold  them  as  tightly  as  pos- 
sible and  not  to  permit  them  to  escape  him.  M'Farlane 
had  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  himself  and  very  little 
in  jugglers,  and  would  have  wagered  a  round  sum  that 
he  could  hold  three  pice  for  the  balance  of  the  day. 
But  in  a  few  moments  the  pice  began  to  swell,  and 
M'Farlane  declared  he  could  feel  them  squirming.  At 
last  he  dropped  them,  and  behold  the  coins  had  changed 
to  young  cobra-di-capellos,  each  about  six  inches  long, 
and  these  disappeared  from  our  sight  as  mysteriously 
as  they  had  appeared. — Charles  E.  Romain. 

The  '*  Holy  Lands  "  of  All  Religions. 

Christians  call  Palestine  the  Holy  Land  because  it 
was  the  birthplace  of  our  religion  as  well  as  that  of 


44  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior,  whose  birth,  ministry,  and 
death  occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  To  the 
Mohammedans,  Mecca,  in  Arabia,  is  the  Holy  Land,  it 
being  the  nativity  of  Mohammed,  the  savior  of  those 
who  believe  in  his  doctrine.  India  is  the  Holy  Land 
of  the  Chinese  and  other  oriental  Buddhists,  it  being 
the  native  land  of  Sakya-Muni,  the  supreme  Buddha. 
Elis,  one  of  the  several  divisions  of  the  ancient  Pelo- 
ponnesus, was  the  Mecca  and  the  Jerusalem  of  the  an- 
cient Greeks.  The  temple  of  Olympus  Zeus  was  situated 
at  Elis,  and  the  sacred  festivals  were  held  there  each 
year.  With  Achaia,  it  is  at  present  a  part  of  Greece. 
The  believers  in  the  Sinto  religion  make  annual  pil- 
grimages to  Sitsa-Kara,  the  immense  stone  pillar  where 
their  supreme  ruler  last  stood  while  talking  to  men. 

The  Most  Expensive  Leather. 

The  most  costly  leather  in  the  world  is  known  to 
the  trade  as  piano  leather.  The  secret  of  tanning  piano 
leather  is  known  only  to  a  family  of  tanners  in  Thu- 
ringia,  Germany.  This  leather  has  but  one  use,  the 
covering  of  piano  keys.  A  peculiar  thing  about  it  is 
that  the  skins  from  which  it  is  tanned  are  procured 
almost  entirely  in  America.  It  is  a  peculiar  kind  of 
buckskin.  The  skin  of  the  common  red  or  Virginia 
deer  will  not  make  the  leather;  a  species  of  the  animal 
known  as  the  grey  deer,  and  found  only  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  great  northern  lakes,  alone  furnishing  the  ma- 
terial. The  German  tanners  have  an  agency  in  Detroit 
which  collects  the  skins  of  this  deer  from  the  Indian 
and  half-breed  hunters,  who  supply  the  market. 

The  World's  Ck)al  Consumption. 

The  total  coal  consumption  of  the  world  is  said  to 
amount  to  upward  of  50,000  tons  per  hour.  Of  this  quan- 
tity about  12,000  tons  are  required  per  hour  in  order  to 
heat  the  boilers  of  stationary  and  marine  engines,  loco- 
motives, etc.  The  production  of  pig  iron  absorbs  5,000 
tons,  and  that  of  other  metals  4,000  tons  per  hour. 
The  average  hourly  consumption  of  household  coal  is 
reckoned  at  10,000  tons,  but  the  total  production  is 


CURIOUS  FACTS  45 

estimated  at  1,500,000  tons  to  1,650,000  tons  per  diem, 
so  there   is   a  considerable   margin. 

A  Swiss  Custom. 

The  Swiss  Good  Night  refers  to  the  custom  of  the 
Swiss  mountaineers  of  calling  through  their  speaking 
trumpets  ai  dusk,  ''  Praise  the  Lord  God."  One  herds- 
man starts  the  call,  and  his  neighbors  from  every  peak 
echo  it.  The  sounds  are  prolonged  by  reverberation 
from  one  mountain  to  another.  After  a  short  period, 
which  is  supposed  to  have  been  devoted  to  prayer,  a 
herdsman  calls  "  Good  night."  This,  too,  is  repeated, 
and  as  darkness  falls,  each  retires  to  his  hut.  These 
calls  may  be  heard  for  miles,  and  are  re-echoed  from 
the  rocks  for  some  minutes  after  the  original  call  has 
died  away. 

The  Power  of  Kindness. 

"  There  is  no  power  of  love  so  hard  to  get  and  keep 
as  a  kind  voice.  A  kind  hand  is  deaf  and  dumb.  It 
may  be  rough  in  flesh  and  blood,  yet  do  the  work  of  a 
soft  touch.  But  there  is  no  one  thing  that  love  so  much 
needs  as  a  sweet  voice  to  tell  what  it  means  and  feels ; 
and  it  is  hard  to  get  and  keep  it  in  the  right  tone. 
One  must  start  in  youth  and  be  on  the  watch  night 
and  day,  at  work  and  play,  to  get  and  keep  a  voice 
that  shall  speak  at  all  times  the  thoughts  of  a  kind 
heart.  It  is  often  in  youth  that  one  gets  a  voice  or  a 
tone  that  is  sharp,  and  it  sticks  to  him  through  life, 
and  stirs  up  ill  will  and  grief,  and  falls  like  a  drop 
of  gall  on  the  sweet  joys  of  home.  Watch  it  day  by 
day  as  a  pearl  of  great  price,  for  it  will  be  worth  more 
to  you  in  days  to  come  than  the  best  pearl  hid  in  the 
sea.  A  kind  voice  is  to  the  heart  what  light  is  to 
the  eye.  It  is  a  light  that  sings  as  well  as  shines." — 
Elihu  Burritt. 

Evolution  of  tlie  Piano. 

The  piano,  as  we  see  it  to-day,  is  the  growth  of  cen- 
turies of  invention.  In  its  infancy  it  was  a  harp  with 
two  or  three  strings.  From  time  to  time  more  strings 
were  added,  and  after  a  while  the  cithara  was  born. 


46 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


The  cithara  was  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  P  and  had 
ten  strings.  It  took  many  centuries  for  musicians  to 
get  the  idea  of  stretching  the  strings  across  an  open 
box,  but  somewhere  about  the  year  1200  this  was 
thought  of  and  ihe  dulcimer  made  its  appearance,  the 
strings  being  struck  with  hammers.  For  another  hun- 
dred years  these  hammers  were  held  in  the  hands  of 
the  player,  and  then  a  genius  invented  a  keyboard, 
which,  being  struck  by  the  fingers,  moved  the  hammers. 
This  instrument  was  called  a  clavicytherium,  or  keyed 
cithara.  This  underwent  some  modifications  and  im- 
provements from  time  to  time. 

In  Queen  Elizabeth's  time  it  was  *called  a  virginal. 
Then  it  was  called  a  spine,  because  the  hammers  were 
covered  with  spines  of  quills,  which  struck  or  caught 
the  strings  of  wires  and  produced  the  sound.  From 
1700  to  1800  it  was  much  enlarged  and  improved,  and 
called  a  harpsichord.  In  1710,  Bartholomeo  Cristofoll, 
an  Italian,  invented  a  key  or  keyboard  such  as  we  have 
now  substantially,  which  caused  hammers  to  strike  the 
wires  from  above,  and  thus  developed  the  piano.  In 
the  past  150  years  there  is  no  musical  instrument  which 
has  so  completely  absorbed  the  inventive  faculty  of  man 
as  the  piano. 

Venus  of  Milo. 

The  Venus  of  Milo,  or  Melos,  is  in  the  gallery  of  the 
Louvre,  at  Paris.  This  statue  is  thought  to  be  the 
work  of  Alexandros,  the  son  of  Menides  of  Antiocheia, 
or  one  of  those  sculptors  who  are  called  Asiatic  Greeks. 
It  is  said  that  the  base  of  this  statue,  with  the  name  of 
the  artist  upon  it,  was  destroyed  for  the  purpose  of 
deceiving  the  king  of  France  into  the  belief  that  it  is 
more  ancient  than  it  really  is.  It  was  discovered  in 
1820  by  a  peasant  in  the  town  of  Milo,  on  the  island 
of  the  same  name.  It  was  in  a  niche  of  a  wall  which 
had  long  been  buried.  The  Marquis  of  Rivere,  who 
was  French  Ambassador  at  Constantinople,  purchased 
it  and  presented  it  to  King  Louis  XVIIL,  who  placed  it 
in  the  Louvre.  It  is  made  from  two  blocks  of  marble, 
joined  above  the  drapery  which  envelops  the  legs.  As 
it  now  stands  it  has  the  tip  of  the  nose  and  the  foot, 
which  projects  beyond  the  drapery,  as  they  have  been 


CURIOUS  FACTS  47 

restored  by   modern  artists.     It  represents  a  goddess 
rather  than  a  beautiful  woman. 

What  are  ''  Morganatic  '*  Marriages? 

The  term  *'  morganatic,"  applied  to  marriages,  had  its 
origin  in  an  ancient  custom  by  which  the  bridegroom  on 
the  day  after  the  wedding  gave  his  bride  a  morning 
gift — morganabe.  In  the  case  of  a  nobleman  wedded 
to  a  wife  of  low  estate  this  morning  gift  constituted  the 
wife's  portion,  or  endowment,  and  from  this  gift  such 
marriages  took  the  name  morganatica.  The  German 
law,  continuing  this  tradition,  allows  the  rnembers  of 
the  reigning  house  and  certain  noble  families  to  con- 
tract marriages  in  all  respects  legal  and  valid,  except 
that  it  gives  to  the  partner  of  lower  birth  and  to  the 
children  no  share  in  the  rank,  titles,  and  distinctions  of 
the  privileged  house.  Such  marriages  have  often  been 
eminently  happy  ones. 

Colored  Snow  Storms. 

Colored  snow  storms  were  recorded  as  long  ago  as 
the  sixth  century,  and  a  shower  of  red  hail  is  said 
by  Humboldt  to  have  once  occurred  in  Palermo.  In 
Tuscany,  on  March  14,  1813,  there  fell  hail  of  an  orange 
color.  In  1808  red  snow  fell  to  a  depth  of  over  five 
feet  in  Carniola,  Germany.  The  storm  of  colored 
snow  was  followed  by  one  of  the  regulation  color,  and 
the  effect  produced  by  the  separate  layers  of  red  and 
white,  which  were  perfectly  distinct,  was  very  peculiar. 
A  portion  of  the  scarlet  snow  was  melted  in  a  vessel 
and  the  water  evaporated,  when  a  fine,  rose-colored, 
earthy  sediment  was  found  at  the  bottom.  Snow  of  a 
brick  red  hue  fell  in  Italy  in  1816,  and  in  the  Tyrol  in 
1847.  In  the  first  volume  of  Kane's  "  Arctic  Explora- 
tion "  it  is  stated  that  when  the  ship  passed  the  "  Crim- 
son Cliffs  of  Sir  John  Ross  "  the  patches  of  red  snow 
from  which  they  derive  their  name  could  be  seen  at 
a  distance  of  fully  ten  miles. 

A  Name  for  a  Big  Yam. 

A  "  roorback  "  is  a  term  applied  to  a  fictitious  story, 
particularly  to  a  campaign  lie.    The  term  is  taken  from 


48  CURIOUS  FACTS 

the  name  of  Baron  Roorback,  vfho  published  talcs  of 
adventure  early  in  this  century.  The  baron's  name  has 
thus  become  a  synonym  for  any  large  story. 

A  Nice  Distinction. 

In  regard  to  the  question  of  preference  as  between 
bachelor  and  benedicts,  it  is  always  pleasant  to  revert 
to  the  delicate  distinction  set  forth  by  General  Lafay- 
ette in  a  conversation  during  his  second  visit  to 
America.  He  shook  hands  with  8000  men  in  one  day, 
says  the  legend,  and  used  but  seven  words  in  all.  He 
asked  each  one:  ''Are  you  married?"  If  the  answer 
was  yes,  he  exclaimed :  "  Fortunate  fellow !  "  If  no, 
"  Lucky  dog ! "  After  a  long  levee,  a  friend  asked 
how  the  general  could  reconcile  his  congratulations  to 
wedded  and  single  men  alike.  The  Frenchman  laughed, 
and  answered:  "Why,  my  dear  boy,  can  you  not  per- 
ceive the  vast  difference  between  a  lucky  dog  and  a 
fortunate  fellow  ?  " 

How  to  Beckon  Tonnage. 

The  method  of  reckoning  a  vessel's  tonnage,  carpen- 
ter's measurement,  is  as  follows :  For  a  single  deck  ves- 
sel, multiply  the  length  of  keel,  the  breadth  of  beam, 
and  depth  of  hold  together,  and  divide  by  ninety-five. 
For  a  double  deck  vessel,  multiply  as  before,  taking 
half  the  breadth  of  beam  for  the  depth  of  the  hold, 
and  divide  by  ninety-five. 

IMEuscIes  of  an  Elephant's  Tmnk. 

The  elephant  has  more  muscles  in  its  trunk  than  any 
other  creature  possesses  in  its  entire  body,  their  num- 
ber being,  according  to  Cuvier,  no  less  than  40,000; 
while  the  whole  of  a  man's  muscles  only  number  527. 
The  proboscis  or  trunk  of  the  elephant  which  contains 
this  vast  quantity  of  small  muscles,  variously  inter- 
laced, is  extremely  flexible,  endowed  with  the  most 
exquisite  sensibility,  and  the  utmost  diversity  of  mo- 
tion. 

Character  the  Key  to  Success. 

Two  fundamental  psychological  elements  to  be  always 
studied  among  any  people  are  character  and  intelligence. 


CURIOUS  PACTS  49 

Character  is  infinitely  more  important  to  the  success 
of  an  individual  or  a  race  than  intelligence.  Rome,  in 
her  decline,  certainly  possessed  more  superior  minds 
than  the  Rome  of  the  earlier  ages  of  the  republic.  Bril- 
liant artists,  eloquent  rhetoriciaius,  and  graceful  writers 
appeared  then  by  the  hundred.  But  she  was  lacking 
in  men  of  manly  and  energetic  character,  who  may 
perhaps  have  been  careless  of  the  refinements  of  art, 
but  were  very  careful  of  the  power  of  the  city  whose 
grandeur  they  had  founded.  When  it  had  lost  all  of 
these,  Rome  had  to  give  way  to  peoples  much  less 
intelligent,  but  more  energetic.  The  conquest  of  the 
ancient,  refined,  and  lettered  Graeco-Latin  world  by 
tribes  of  semi-barbarous  Arabs  constitutes  another  ex- 
ample of  the  same  kind.  History  is  full  of  such. — G. 
Le  Bon. 

The  Growth  of  Trees. 

In  the  parish  of  Winfarthing,  England,  are  two  mag- 
nificent oak  trees,  one  of  which  is  known  as  the  "  Win- 
farthing oak;  "  the  other  is  little  inferior  to  it  in  mag- 
nitude, but  appears  to  have  been  generally  passed  over 
in  favor  of  the  more  celebrated  tree  first  mentioned. 
These  trees  were  inspected  by  Robert  Marsham,  F.R.S., 
the  friend  and  correspondent  of  Gilbert  White,  and  a 
great  agriculturist,  in  the  year  1744;  and  he  has  left 
in  his  diary  accurate  measurements  of  both. 

The  larger  tree  measured  at  that  time  38  feet  7 
inches  in  circumference,  and  the  smaller  just  30  feet. 
In  the  year  1874,  when  these  trees  were  measured  ac- 
cording to  Marsham's  method,  the  larger  tree  was  just 
40  feet  in  circumference,  and  the  smaller  30  feet. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  one  tree  had  increased  17 
inches  in  130  years,  whereas  the  other  had  remained 
in  statu  quo. — London  Standard. 

Nevada's  Deep  Mines. 

In  Nevada  electricity  runs  the  very  deep  mines.  The 
men  who  work  3100  feet  deep  live  about  two  years,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  they  work  only  two  hours 
per  day.  They  get  more  pay  than  eight  hour  men.  They 
work  fifteen  minutes,  and  rest  forty-five. 


^O  CURIOUS  FACTS 

CJommercial  Praverbs. 

Men  who  have  company  must  have  money. 

Some  men  carry  too  much  sail ;  some  too  little. 

Great  men,  when  analyzed,  usually  prove  to  be  very 
small  men. 

Men  trade  on  borrowed  reputation  as  they  trade 
on  borrowed  capital. 

Good  intentions  will  not  help  a  man  on  his  way  if 
he  takes  the  wrong  road. 

The  history  of  trade  shows  that  failure  is  the  rule 
and  winning  the  exception. 

Money  moves  the  crops  that  make  the  great  west  the 
granary  of  the  world. 

One  man  is  over-nice  and  becomes  fussy;  another  is 
careless  and  loses  his  trade. 

The  same  great  lesson  of  failure  is  taught  in  the  pro- 
fessions that  is  taught  in  trade. 

One  man  ruins  his  business  because  he  is  a  sloven; 
another  ruins  it  because  he  is  a  fop. 

Men  neither  win  nor  lose  in  the  same  way.  One  fails 
and  is  smart;  another  wins  and  is  dull. 

The  merchants  of  old  Tyre  were  "princes,  and  their 
traffickers  were  the  honorable  of  the  earth." 

Integrity,  honor,  and  piety  do  not  save  a  man  from 
disaster  if  he  fails  to  observe  the  law  of  success. 

Talent  and  temper  often  go  together.  It  is  rare  to 
find  a  sharp,  bright  man  that  is  a  courteous  man. 

The  law  of  success  is  as  certain  as  the  law  of  the 
tides.     All  must  obey  these  laws  if  they  would  prosper. 

A  diamond  with  a  flaw  is  better  than  a  pebble  with- 
out. But  the  flaw  adds  nothing  to  the  value  of  the 
diamond. — Exchange. 

Some  Historical  13"oses. 

Lycurgus  and  Solon  had  noses  six  inches  in  length. 

The  immortal  Ovid,  surnamed  Naso,  had  a  bottle 
nose. 

Scipio  Nasica  derived  his  name  from  his  very  promi- 
nent nose. 

Alexander  the  Great  had  a  large  nose,  so  had  Riche- 
lieu and  Cardinal  Wolsey. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  31 

In  the  medals  of  Cyrus  and  Artaxerxes  the  tips  of 
their  noses  come  clear  out  to  the  rim  of  the  coin. 

Antiochus  VIII.  was  called  *'  Grypus,"  because  his 
nose  was  as  big  and  hooked  as  a  vulture's  beak. 

Washington's  nose  was  the  true  aquiline,  indicative 
of  great  hrmness,  patience,  and  heroism. 

Mohammed's  nose  was  so  curved  that  the  point 
seemed  to  be  endeavoring  to  insert  itself  between  his 
lips. 

Julius  Caesar's  nose  was  also  of  the  aquiline  type, 
characteristic  of  patient  courage  and  heroic  firmness. 

Numa's  nose  was  six  inches  in  length,  whence  he 
obtained  his  surname  of  Pompilus,  as  being  the  owner 
of  a  superlative  nose. 

The  noses  of  Shakespeare,  Bacon,  Franklin,  and  Dr. 
Johnson  had  wide  nostrils,  betokening  strength  of 
thought  and  love  for  serious  meditation. 

Napoleon  I.'s  nose  was  exquisitely  chiselled,  sculp- 
turesque in  mold,  form,  and  expression.  He  was 
wont  to  say :  '*  Give  me  a  man  with  plenty  of  nose." 

Great  Frederick's  nose  was  so  prominent  that  Lavater 
offered  to  wager  his  reputation  that  blindfolded  he 
could  tell  it  out  of  10,000  other  noses  by  simply  taking 
it  between  his  thumb  and  forefinger. 

The  Boomerang^s  Curious   Flight. 

Some  German  scientists,  seeking  to  discover  the  secret 
of  the  boomerang's  curious  flight,  caused  a  party  of 
Australian  natives  to  give  an  exhibition  of  boomerang 
throwing  at  Munster.  The  instruments  used  were  of 
two  sizes,  the  larger  being  a  slender  crescent  about  two 
feet  long,  two  and  a  quarter  inches  wide,  and  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  ^  thick,  made  of  an  extraordinary  heavy 
Australian  iron  work.  This  boomerang  was  jerked  up 
into  the  air  about  100  yards,  when  it  flew  straight  away, 
then  turned  to  the  left  and  returned  in  a  curved  line 
back  to  the  thrower,  whirling  around  constantly  and 
whizzing  unpleasantly.  One  badly  directed  projectile 
fell  through  a  spectator's  hat  with  a  cut  as  clean  as 
that  of  a  razor.  A  manufacturer,  who  has  made  some 
11,000  toy  boomerangs,  believes  that  the  mystery  of 
shape  lies  in  the  sharper  curvature  in  the  middle,  with 


5^  CURIOUS  PACTS 

unequal  length  of  the  two  arms,  which  must  be  made 
of  equal  weight  by  unequal  thickness.  The  peculiarity 
of  motion  is  due  to  the  difference  in  the  length  of  the 
arms,  which  diverges  the  curve  of  rotation  from  the 
circular. — New  Orleans  Pieuyune. 

Bocks  of  the  Earth. 

Granite  is  the  lowest  rock  in  the  earth's  crust.  It  is 
the  bed  rock  of  the  world.  It  shows  no  evidence  of 
animal  or  vegetable  life.  It  is  from  two  to  ten  times 
as  thick  as  the  united  thicknesses  of  all  the  other  rocks. 
It  is  the  parent  rock  from  which  all  the  other  rocks 
have  been  either  directly  or  indirectly  derived. 

It  is  true  that  it  does  not  contain  lime,  while  lime- 
stones do  contain  that  substance,  but  it  furnishes  the 
foundation  :or  vegetable  growth.  Vegetable  growth 
furnishes  the  foundation  for  animal  growth,  and  animal 
growth  brings  lime  into  existence.  It  is  claimed  by 
scientists  that  all  the  lime  in  the  world  has,  at  some 
time,  been  a  portion  of  some  animal.  The  same  atom 
of  lime  has  some  time,  no  doubt,  been  a  portion  of 
many  different  animals,  and  possibly  of  human  beings 
also. 

The  First  Profile. 

The  first  profile  taken  was  that  of  Antigonus,  in 
330  B.  c,  who,  having  but  one  eye,  his  likeness  was  so 
taken  to  conceal  the  deformity. 

Ancient  Alphabets. 

The  ancient  Arabic  alphabet  consisted  of  twenty-four 
letters,  to  which  four  more  have  since  been  added.  The 
Turkish  consists  of  thirty-three,  the  Russian  of  thirty- 
nine,  the  Spanish  of  twenty-seven,  the  Italian  of  twenty, 
the  Latin  of  twenty-two,  and  the  French  of  twenty- 
three  letters. 

The  Meanings  of  Hebrew  Names. 

A  mode  of  bringing  to  notice  the  barbarian  stage  of 
the  Israelites  at  the  time  of  consideration  is  to  trans- 
late into  English  familiar  personal  names  from  the  Old 
Testament,  such  as  the  Dog,  the  Dove,  the  Hyena,  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  53 

Lion's  Whelp,  the  Strong  Ass,  the  Adder,  and  the  Run- 
ning Hind.  This  brings  into  immediate  connection 
the  EngHsh  translation  of  Indian  names,  such  as  Big 
Bear,  White  Buffalo,  Wolf,  Red  Cloud,  Black  Hawk, 
Fox,  Crow,  and  Turtle.  Such  Israelitish  names  were 
probably  of  Gentile  origin,  that  is,  from  the  clan  or 
gens,  for  the  Israelites  were  surely  Gentiles  in  the  true 
sense,  although  later  they  abjured  the  charge.  But 
individuals  among  them  may  also  have  adopted  such 
names  because  they  could  be  represented  objectively. 
Such  selection  is  made  by  some  Indians  apart  from 
their  totemic  designation.  Indians  possess  very  few 
names  that  cannot  be  represented  in  pictographs;  and 
the  very  large  topic  of  tattooing  is  connected  with  this 
device  antecedent  to  writing.  The  compilers  of  the 
Old  Testament  probably  desired  to  break  down  a  former 
practice,  as  is  shown  in  Leviticus  xix.  28 :  "  Ye  shall 
not  print  any  marks  upon  you."  And  there  are  other 
similar  indications. — Garrick  Mallery  in  Popular 
Science  Monthly. 

Germination  of  Seeds. 

The  degree  of  heat  necessary  to  the  germination  of 
seed  varies  in  different  species  and  depends  upon  vari- 
ous circumstances,  such  as  their  character  and  com- 
position and  the  climate  to  which  the  plants  were  in- 
digenous. In  a  general  way  it  may  be  stated  that  the 
most  favorite  temperature  of  the  soil  for  germination 
of  seeds  of  plants  in  cold  climates  is  from  50  to  55 
.  degs. ;  for  those  of  greenhouse  plants,  at  from  60  to  65 
degs. ;  and  for  those  of  the  torrid  zone,  at  from  70 
to  80  degs.  Of  seeds  sown  by  the  truck  gardener,  those 
of  the  onion  germinate  at  perhaps  the  lowest  tempera- 
ture, other  conditions  being  favorable. 

Plants  Protected  by  their  Juices. 

When  a  drop  of  the  juice  of  sorrel,  garlic,  saxifrage, 
or  nasturtium  is  put  upon  the  tegument  of  a  snail,  the 
animal  manifests  pain  and  exudes  abundance  of  its 
mucous  secretion;  yet  it  is  not  thus  affected  by  a  drop 
of  water.     When  snails  avoid  plants  marked  by  such 


54^^  CURIOUS  FACTS 

juices,   we  have  a  right  to  regard  the  plants  as   de- 
fended by  a  chemical  armor. 

Plants  containing  perceptible  tannin  are  disagreeable 
to  nearly  all  animals.  Only  swine  will  eat  acorns  as  if 
they  regard  them  as  food.  Other  animals  reject  them, 
except  when  they  cannot  get  anything  else.  Leguminous 
plants  containing  tannin  in  weak  proportions  are  eaten 
by  horses  and  cattle,  but  snails  are  not  fond  of  them. 
But  the  garden  snail,  which  lets  fresh  clover  alone,  will 
eat  it  freely  after  the  tannin  has  been  extracted  with 
alcohol. — Henry  De  Varigny. 

Immense  Gains  in  Force. 

Compare  a  galley,  a  vessel  propelled  by  oars,  with 
the  modern  Atlantic  liner,  and  first  let  us  assume  that 
prime  movers  are  non-existent  and  that  the  vessel  is  to 
be  propelled  galley  fashion.  Take  her  length  at  some 
600  feet,  and  assume  that  place  be  found  for  as  many 
as  400  oars  on  each  side,  each  oar  worked  by  three 
men,  or  2400  men;  and  allow  that  six  men  under  these 
conditions  could  develop  work  equal  to  one  horse 
power;  we  should  have  400  horse  power.  Double  the 
number  of  men  and  we  should  have  800  horse  power, 
with  4800  men  at  work,  and  at  least  the  same  number 
in  reserve,  if  the  journey  is  to  be  carried  on  continu- 
ously. Contrast  the  puny  result  thus  obtained  with  the 
19,500  horse  power  given  forth  by  a  large  prime  mover 
of  the  present  day,  such  a  power  requiring,  on  the  above 
mode  of  calculation,  117,000  men  at  work  and  117,000 
men  in  reserve;  and  these  to  be  carried  in  a  vessel  less 
than  600  feet  in  length.  Even  if  it  were  possible  to 
carry  this  number  of  men  in  such  a  vessel,  by  no  con- 
ceivable means  could  their  power  be  utilized  so  as  to 
impart  to  it  a  speed  of  twenty  knots  an  hour,  weighing 
as  it  would  some  10,500  tons  gross. — Sir  Fred.  Bram- 

WELL. 

Brain  Impressions. 

It  is  computed  by  scientists  that,  since  one-third  of 
a  second  suffices  to  produce  an  "  impression,*'  in  100 
years  a  man  must  have  collected  in  his  brain  9467»- 
280,000  copies  of  impressions;  or,  if  we  take  off  one- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  55 

third  of  the  time  for  sleep,  6,311,520,000.  This  would 
give  3,155,760,000  separate  waking  impressions  to  the 
man  who  lives  to  the  age  of  50  years.  Allowing  a 
weight  of  four  pounds  to  the  brain,  and  deducting  one- 
fourth  for  blood  and  vessels  an-d  another  fourth  for 
external  integument,  it  is  further  computed  that  each 
grain  of  brain  substance  must  contain  205,542  traces  or 
impressions. 

The   Cause    of    Yawning. 

Yawning  is  commonly  caused  by  temporary  deficiency 
of  the  air  supply  in  the  lung.  When  the  body  is  wearied 
and  in  a  sleepy  condition  the  process  of  respiration  is 
sometimes  involuntarily  suspended  for  a  few  seconds. 
Nature  at  once,  however,  comes  to  the  rescue,  and  by 
setting  up  a  spasmodic  action  in  the  muscles  of  the 
mouth,  throat,  and  chest,  produces  a  deep  inspiration, 
which  compensates  for  the  stoppage  of  the  breathing, 
and  is  known  as  a  yawn.  There  is,  however,  another 
cause  which  produces  what  may  be  called  the  yawn 
sympathetic — an   involuntary   tendency  to   imitation. 

Prevention  of  Sleeplessness. 

Among  devices  found  to  control  insomnia,  Medical 
Register  mentions  the  following: — The  sound  of  water 
dropping  slowly  and  steadily  into  a  pan  occupies  and 
quiets  the  brain.  This  is  the  principle  on  which  we 
are  told  to  count  sheep  going  over  a  fence,  and  do  any 
sort  of  automatic  thinking,  if  such  an  expression  be 
permissible.  A  former  victim  of  insomnia  cured  him- 
self by  keeping  the  eyeballs  looking  down.  Another 
kept^  rolling  thern  in  one  direction  with  good  effect,  re- 
peating, meanwhile,  a  certain  word  or  number.  Long 
inspirations  by  the  mouth  and  expirations  by  the  nostrils, 
conceiving  the  air  as  currents,  has  been  found  effectual. 
All  intellectual  exercise  should  be  stopped  half-an-hour 
before  bedtime.  A  tumbler  of  milk,  instead  of  the 
usual  copious  draughts  of  water,  taken  during  sleep- 
lessness, will  often  help  to  overcome  it. 

Railway  Signals. 

One  pull  of  the  bell  cord  signifies  "  stop." 
Two  pulls  mean  "go  ahead." 


5« 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


Three  pulls  mean  "  back  up." 

One  whistle  signifies  "  down  brakes." 

Two  whistles  signify  ''  off  brakes." 

Three  whistles  mean  "  back  up." 

Continued  whistles  indicate  ''  danger." 

Short  rapid   whistles,   '*  a  cattle   alarm." 

A  sweeping  parting  of  the  hands  on  a  level  with  the 

eyes  means  "  go  ahead." 
A   slowly   sweeping   meeting  of  the  hands   over  the 

head  signifies  "  back  slowly." 

A   downward   motion   of   the   hands,    with   extended 

arms,  signifies  "  stop." 
A  beckoning  motion  with  one  hand  indicates  '*  back." 
A  red  flag  waved  up  the  track  indicates  "  danger," 
A  red  flag  by  the  roadside  means  "  danger  ahead." 
A   red    flag   carried    on    a   locomotive    signifies    "  an 

engine  following." 
A  red  flag  raised  at  a  station  means  *'  stop." 
A  lantern  swung  at  right  angles  across  the  track  means 

*'  stop." 
A  lantern   raised  and  lowered  vertically  is  a  signal 

to  *'  start." 
A  lantern  swung  in  a  circle  signifies  "  back  the  train." 

Advice  to  a  Young  Han. 

Never  whip  your  brain.  All  high  pressure  is  dan- 
gerous. Study  to  think  as  quietly  and  as  easily  as  you 
breathe.  Never  force  yourself  to  learn  what  you  have 
no  talent  for.  Knowledge  without  love  will  remain  a 
lifeless  manufacture,  not  a  living  growth.  Be  content 
to  be  ignorant  of  many  things  that  you  may  know  one 
thing  well,  and  that  the  thing  which  God  especially 
endowed  you  to  know.  It  requires  fire  to  fuse  the 
materials  of  thinking,  no  less  than  to  melt  the  iron  in 
the  foundry. 

But  remember  this,  however  strong  you  may  be,  phy- 
sically, to  strike  a  blow,  and  however  sharp,  intellectu- 
ally, to  recognize  a  fact  and  discern  a  difference,  your 
success  in  the  game  of  life  depends  on  the  serious  cul- 
ture which  you  give  to  the  third  formative  force  in 
human  character,  your  moral  nature;  and  of  the  right- 
ful  supremacy   of  this   element   a   comprehensive   ex- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  37 

pression  is  found  in  the  right  simple  word,  love.  On 
this  all  prophets,  poets,  and  philosophers  are  agreed. — 
Prof.  Blackie. 

National  Floral  Emblems. 

The  fleur-de-lis  is  the  emblem  of  happy  France. 

The  violet  is  the  national  emblem  of  Athens. 

The  shamrock  is  emblematic  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 

The  lordly  sugar   maple  is  Canada's   floral   emblem. 

The  fragrant  linden  is  Prussia's  national  emblem. 

The  mignonette  is  emblematic  of  Saxony's  nationality. 

England's  national  flower  is  the  beautiful  rose. 

The  sacred  lotus  of  the  Nile  is  Egypt's  national  em- 
blem. 

The  flower  of  the  pomegranate  is  Spain's  national 
emblem. 

Balmy  Italy's  choice  for  a  national  emblem  is  the 
graceful  lily. 

Germany  has  its  national  emblem  in  the  shape  of  the 
cornflower. 

The  leek,  worn  in  the  olden  times  by  Welshmen,  is 
Wales'  national  emblem. 

The  sturdy  thistle  is  well  chosen  as  emblematic  of 
Scotch  nationality. 

Pen  Squibs. 

The  primitive  pen  was  a  chisel  and  the  tablet  was 
rock. 

Later  on  a  pencil  made  of  camel's  hair  was  used  in 
the  far  east  and  also  in  Egypt. 

The  date  of  the  quill  pen  is  placed  at  a.  d.  553,  though 
many  scholars  think  it  was  of  later  origin. 

The  Hollanders  made  the  best  quill  pens,  and  as 
much  as  $10.00  in  value  was  commonly  given  for  a 
single  quill. 

When  parchment  and  papyrus  came  into  use  some- 
thing more  flexible  was  necessary,  so  pens  were  made 
of  reeds. 

In  Persia,  Greece,  and  Syria  the  pen  was  a  stylus 
made  of  metal,  bone,  or  ivory,  with  one  end  sharpened 
to  a  point. 

At  the  1890  census  there  were  sixteen  gold  pen  fac- 


S8  CURIOUS  FACTS 

tories  in  the  United  States,  and  they  employed  254 
hands,  producing  $480,000  worth  of  goods. 

The  glass  pen  was  simply  the  old  stylus  with  grooves 
down  the  sides  to  hold  the  ink,  but  they  were  clumsy, 
untidy,  and  so  easily  broken  that  they  were  practically 
worthless. 

In  1803  a  man  named  Wise  made  what  he  called  a 
barrel  pen.  It  was  bent  or  grooved  like  the  pens  of 
the  present  day,  and  was  the  first  pen  ever  made  of 
metal  in  the  shape  suggested  by  the  goose  quill,  all  the 
others  having  been  flat. 

In  1820  Joseph  Gillott,  who  had  a  factory  where  toys 
were  made,  fashioned  a  steel  pen  which  commanded 
instant  favor,  and  Mason,  Mitchell,  and  Perry  soon 
followed  him.  These  were  all  Englishmen,  and  their 
product  soon  became  popular,  though  their  price  was 
$35.00  a  gross  wholesale. 

Boring  into  the  Earth. 

The  deepest  bore  hole  in  the  world,  claimed  at  dif- 
ferent times  for  a  number  of  places,  is,  according  to 
latest  accounts,  at  Schladebach,  a  small  German  village 
near  Leipzig.  It  measures  1748.4  meters,  or  about  5735 
feet.  The  time  expended  in  boring  to  this  depth 
amounted  to  six  years,  at  a  cost  of  $50,000.  A  peculiar 
experience  encountered  in  connection  with  this  and 
other  deep  holes  in  different  parts  of  Germany  is,  ac- 
cording to  Uhland's  Wochenschrift,  that  the  observed 
temperatures,  while  steadily  increasing  with  the  depth, 
show  a  smaller  ratio  of  increase  in  the  lower  strata. 

Dwarf  Stories. 

General  Joseph  Totman,  of  Maine,  is  a  prosperous 
merchant;  he  is  35  years  old,  and  stands  three  feet 
four  inches  in  height. 

Eliza  Nestel,  called  the  "  Fairy  Queen,"  is  the  exact 
height  of  her  brother,  Commodore  Foote.  She  is  42 
years  old. 

The  smallest  of  men  dwarfs  is  F.  Flynn,  of  Greene, 
N.  Y.,  better  known  as  General  Mite.  He  stands  a 
little  over  two  feet  in  height 


CURIOUS  PACTS  59 

Richard  Gibson,  miniature  painter  and  court  dwarf 
to  Charles  I.  Hved  to  be  75,  and  his  dwarf  wife,  Annie 
Shepherd,  to  be  85. 

The  Murray  triplets — ^John,  Joseph,  and  James — were 
celebrated  Lilliputian  attractions.  They  were  born  in 
New   York   in    1863. 

Major  Stephens,  an  American  dwarf,  first  appeared 
before  the  public  over  fifty  years  ago.  He  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  60  years. 

Admiral  Dot,  the  clever  little  singer  and  dancer,  is 
the  handsomest  of  all  dwarfs.  He  is  a  Hebrew,  and 
was  discovered  by  Barnum  in  California. 

The  Italian  midgets — Jean  Petit  and  Picalomi — are 
brothers.  They  first  appeared  in  America  in  1869,  and 
made  some  reputation  and  money  as  clever  performers. 

Two  of  the  prettiest  and  most  exquisite  little  ladies 
who  have  ever  been  exhibited  are  the  Adams  sisters, 
Lucy  and  Sadie.  Their  home  was  Martha's  Vineyard, 
Mass. 

Thomas  Bonham  and  his  two  sisters  are  Lilliputians 
of  fine  education,  and  reside  in  Pennsylvania.  They 
decline  to  go  upon  exhibition,  scorning  to  be  ranked  as 
freaks. 

Mr.  Nestel,  publicly  known  as  Commodore  Foote, 
was  born  in  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  52  years  ago.  His 
weight  is  about  fifty  pounds,  and  he  is  about  the  size  of 
a  child  four  years  old. 

General  Tom  Thumb's  widow  was  married  to  Count 
Primo  Mogri,  an  Italian  midget,  in  New  York  city, 
April  6,  1885.  The  second  husband  has  a  dwarf  brother 
known  as   Baron   Littlefinger. 

Count  Bowowlaski  was  known  as  one  of  the  won- 
ders of  the  world  for  his  smallness  of  stature,  con- 
bined  with  high  intellect.^  He  was  born  in  1739,  and 
was  thirty-five  inches  high  when  he  died,  in  1837, 
at  the  age  of  98. 

Luzie  Zarate,  a  Mexican,  is  the  smallest  dwarf  now 
before  the  public.  She  is  exhibited  by  her  father,  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  development.  She  is  31 
yeara  old,  weighs  9^  pounds,  and  stands  about  twenty- 
four  inches  in  heijzrht. 

Sir   Geofifrey  Hudson,    dwarf    and    diplomatist    to 


60  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Charles  II.,  expired  at  63,  and  the  little  gentleman's 
life  was  shortened  by  his  incarceration  on  suspicion  of 
connivance  in  a  treasonable  plot  in  the  Gate  House  at 
Westminster,  where  he  died. 

The  most  famous  modern  dwarfs  were  Charles  S. 
Stratton,  better  known  as  General  Tom  Thumb,  who 
was  born  in  18,37,  and  died  July  15,  1883;  Lavina  War- 
ren, who  married  Stratton ;  her  sister,  Minnie  Warren, 
who  was  the  wife  of  Major  E.  Newell,  and  George 
Washington  Morrison  Nutt,  of  Manchester,  N.  H., 
better  known  as  Commodore  Nutt,  who  was  born  April 
I,  1845,  and  died  in  New  York  city,  May  25,  1881. 

The  Walters  dwarf  family  are  residents  of  Virginia, 
Major  Hiram  Walters  was  born  April  26,  1810,  and 
was  three  feet  six  inches  tall.  Captain  William  Walters 
was  born  on  April  18,  1824,  and  was  three  feet  seven 
inches  in  height.  Miss  Roxana  Walters  was  born  Dec. 
25,  181 5,  and  was  a  trifle  over  three  feet  in  height. 
Miss  Kate  Walters  was  born  July  20,  1818,  and  was 
about  the  height  of  Roxana. — St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

The  Brain  Weight  of  Man  and  Woman. 

On  the  much  discussed  topic  of  brain  weight,  Medical 
Record  makes  a  number  of  interesting  remarks,  among 
them  the  following: 

The  average  weight  of  the  male  brain  is  49^2  ounces; 
of  the  female,  44  ounces — a  difference  of  over  5  ounces. 
Woman's  brain  has  a  higher  specific  gravity.  The  man 
has  a  larger  brain  in  proportion  to  stature  (Marshall), 
but  woman's  brain  is  larger  in  proportion  to  her 
weight. 

The  difference  between  the  weight  of  brain  in  man 
and  woman  increases  with  civilization,  and  is  most 
marked  in  the  Caucasian  races. 

The  greatest  sexual  difference  as  regards  brain  weight 
is  found  at  birth,  when  the  female  brain  weighs  347 
grammes,  and  the  male  393,  or  about  one-sixth  more, 
while  the  total  weight  of  the  male  infant  is  about  one- 
fifteenth  more  than  that  of  the  female.  The  female 
brain  begins  to  lose  weight  after  the  age  of  30,  that 
of  a  man  not  till  ten  or  fifteen  years  later.  The  loss 
in  woman  is  very  slight,  however,  and  she  keeps  up 


CURIOUS  PACTS  6l 

a  high  brain  weight  much  later  (till  70)  than  man, 
so  that  in  old  age  the  difference  in  brain  weight  is 
reduced  to  its  minimum,  or  a  little  over  3  ounces. 

When  a  brain  falls  to  a  weight  of  syVz  ounces  in 
man,  or  32y2  ounces  in  a  woman,  it  is  called  micro- 
cephalic, and  the  rule  is  that  below  these  limits  idiocy 
exists.  There  is  just  5  ounces  less  amount  of  brain 
matter,  however,  needed  to  keep  a  woman  from  idiocy 
than  is  needed  for  a  man.  Hence  we  may  reasonably 
suppose  that  this,  which  is  nearly  the  average  difference 
in  brain  weight  of  the  sexes,  represents,  not  tissue 
necessary  for  mentality,  but  corresponds  with  the 
smaller  muscular  mass  and  shorter  stature  of  woman. 

Statistics   are  runny. 

A  clever  hand  at  figures  says :  12,000  vehicles,  a  quarter 
of  them  omnibuses,  pass  through  the  Strand,  London, 
in  the  day,  and  the  narrowness  of  the  street  causes 
each  of  their  63,000  occupants  to  waste  on  an  average 
three  minutes.  The  total  waste  of  time  equals  3,150 
hours,  the  money  value  of  which,  at  the  very  moderate 
rate  of  25  cents  an  hour,  is  $787.50  per  day,  or  over 
$235,000  per  annum. 

Boman  Amphitheatres. 
The  Colosseum  was  begun  by  Vespasian,  emperor  of 
Rome,  who  died  a.  d.  79.  It  was  completed  by  his  son, 
Titus,  who  dedicated  it,  or  inaugurated  it,  as  we  say 
nowadays  of  theatres  and  President,  in  a.  d.  80,  with 
splendid  games  and  fights,  in  which  it  is  said  that  5000 
animals  and  a  large  number  of  gladiators  were  killed. 
The  Flavian  amphitheatre,  as  it  was  called,  is  1641 
feet  around;  it  is  615  feet  long,  510  feet  broad,  and  is 
in  the  form  of  an  ellipse.  It  seated  87,000  persons.  The 
marble  with  which  it  was  originally  Hned  has  been 
used  to  build  the  palaces  of  modern  Rome.  More  than 
400  varieties  of  plants  have  been  found  in  the  ruins. 

National  Forms  of  Greeting. 

"  How  do  you  do  ?  '*  That's  English  and  American. 
"  How  do  you  carry  yourself?  "    That's  French.  "  How 


gd  CURIOUS  FACTS 

do  you  stand?"  That's  Italian.  "How  do  you  find 
yourself?"  That's  German.  "How  do  you  fare?" 
That's  Dutch.  "How  can  you?"  That's  Swedish. 
"How  do  you  perspire?"  That's  Egyptian.  "How  is 
your  stomach?  Have  you  eaten  your  rice?"  That's 
Chinese.  "How  do  you  have  yourself?"  That's 
Polish.  "How  do  you  live  on?"  That's  Russian. 
"  May  thy  shadow  never  be  less."  That's  Persian — 
and  all  mean  much  the  same  thing. 


The  Ink  of  Antiquity. 

According  to  the  Roman  naturalist  Pliny  and  other 
authors,  the  basis  of  the  ink  used  by  ancient  writers 
was  formed  of  lampblack  or  the  black  taken  from  burnt 
ivory  and  soot  from  furnaces  and  baths.  Some  also 
have  supposed  that  the  black  liquor  which  the  cuttlefish 
yields  was  frequently  employed.  One  thing  is  certain, 
that  whatever  were  the  component  ingredients,  from 
the  blackness  and  solidity  in  the  most  ancient  manu- 
scripts, from  an  inkstand  found  at  Herculaneum,  in 
which  the  ink  appears  as  thick  as  oil,  and  from  chemical 
analysis,  the  ink  of  antiquity  was  much  more  opaque, 
as  well  as  encaustic,  than  that  which  is  used  in  modern 
times.  Inks  of  different  colors  were  much  in  vogue. 
Red,  purple,  blue,  and  gold  and  silver  inks  were  the 
principal  varieties. 

The  red  was  made  from  vermilion,  cinnabar,  and 
carmine;  the  purple  from  the  nurex,  one  kind  of  which, 
called  the  purple  encaustic,  was  appropriated  to  the  ex- 
clusive use  of  the  emperors.  Golden  ink  was  much 
more  popular  among  the  Greeks  than  among  the  Ro- 
mans. During  the  middle  or  dark  ages  the  manufacture 
both  of  it  and  of  silver  ink  was  an  extensive  and  lucra- 
tive branch  of  trade,  and  the  illuminated  manuscripts 
which  remain  are  a  striking  proof  of  the  high  degree 
of  perfection  to  which  the  art  was  carried.  The  making 
of  the  inks  themselves  was  a  distinct  business;  and 
another  connected  with  it,  and  to  which  it  owed  its 
origin,  was  that  of  inscribing  the  titles,  capitals  as 
well  a3  emphatic  words,  in  colored  and  gold  and  silver 
inks. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^ 

The   Snow  Plant. 

One  thing  that  never  fails  to  interest  all  who  see  it, 
when  it  is  found  on  the  mountain  heights  of  the  Sierras, 
is  the  snow  plant,  known  to  botanists  as  the  Sarcodes 
sanguinea,  meaning  blooded  flesh.  No  flesh  or  blood 
could  be  as  exquisitely  beautiful;  imagine  a  rosy  and 
snow-tinted,  crowded  hyacinth,  from  eight  to  twenty 
inches  in  height,  every  miniature  bell  wound  about  by  a 
rosy  and  frosted  silver  ribbon,  all  topped  by  a  huge 
head  of  asparagus  in  hoar  frost  and  silver.  The  frosted 
papilla  is  very  marked  on  every  sepal  and  bract.  Though 
the  whole  translucent  spike  is  flushed  with  rose  and 
carmine,  the  petals  are  the  deepest  and  most  brilliantly 
colored  parts  of  the  flower,  which  is  five  parted,  and 
each  open  one  showing  slightly  the  stamens  and  pistils. 


Concerning  the  Ears. 

The  thin  angular  ear  is  said  to  denote  bad  temper 
and  cruelty. 

Small  and  thin  ears  usually  denote  delicacy  and  re- 
finement. 

As  age  increases,  the  ear  becomes  more  angular  and 
marked. 

People  with  musical  tastes  generally  have  large  and 
prominent  ears. 

Abnormally  large  thick  ears  are  associated  with  a 
sensual  and  coarse  nature. 

Great  philosophers  and  statesmen  have  been  noticed 
to  have  large  and  sloping  ears. 

The  ear  of  the  great  Napoleon  was  rather  small,  well 
formed,  and  with  a  curved   lobe. 

The  Marquis  of  Salisbury's  ear  is  massive  and  well 
proportioned,  and  has  a  sloping  position. 

Mr.  Gladstone's  ear  had  a  curved  hanging  lobe,  laid 
close  to  the  head,  and  had  a  sloping  position — Pall  Mall 
Gazette. 

In  what  Month  was  she  Bom? 

Here  is  an  astrologer's  table  from  which  you  may 
learn  your  wife's  characteristics  according  to  the  month 
in  which  she  was  born: — 


€4  CURIOUS  FACTS 

If  in  January,  a  prudent  housewife,  given  to  melan- 
choly, but  good  tempered. 

If  in  February,  a  humane  and  affectionate  wife  and 
tender  mother. 

If  in  March,  a  frivolous  chatterbox,  somewhat  g^ven 
to  quarreling. 

If  in  April,  inconstant,  not  very  intelligent,  but  likely 
to  be  good  looking. 

If  in  May,  handsome,  amiable  and  likely  to  be  happy. 

If  in  June,  impetuous,  will  marry  early  and  be  frivo- 
lous. 

If  in  July,  passably  handsome,  but  with  a  sulky 
temper. 

If  in  August,  amiable  and  practical  and  likely  to  marry 
rich. 

If  in  September,  discreet,  affable  and  much  liked. 

If  in  October,  pretty  and  coquettish,  and  likely  to  be 
unhappy. 

If  in  November,  liberal,  kind,  and  of  a  mild  disposi- 
tion. 

If  in  December,  well  proportioned,  fond  of  novelty, 
and  extravagant 

A  Simple  Bemedy. 

You  never  hear  of  a  man  dying  in  France  while  under 
the  influence  of  chloroform.  Several  years  ago  a  patient 
in  a  Paris  hospital  was  undergoing  an  operation,  when 
the  chloroform  seemed  to  be  having  too  great  an  in- 
fluence over  his  heart.  An  old  nurse  from  the  country 
who  was  present  raised  his  feet  and  lowered  his  head. 
In  a  few  seconds  the  pulsation  became  normal,  and  this 
simple  remedy  or  precaution  has  been  adopted  in  hun- 
dreds of  cases  since,  and  always  with  success. — St. 
Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

Superstitions  About  Gems. 

Heliotrope  confers  the  gift  of  prophecy  and  long  life. 

Amber  wards  off  erysipelas  and  all  soreness  of  the 
throat. 

The  Neapolitans  still  wear  amulets  of  coral  to  avert 
the  evil  eye. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  6$ 

An  agate  is  said  to  quench  thirst  and  to  turn  away 
storm  and  lightning. 

The  beryl  was  once  supposed  to  increase  conjugal 
love  and  to  cure  distemper  and  leprosy. 

According  to  modern  etiquette,  the  amethyst  is  the 
only  stone  which   may  be   worn   during  mourning. 

Turquoise,  according  to  Boethius,  especially  protects 
against  falls,  and  heals  differences  between  man  and 
wife. 

Sard,  cornelian,  and  the  stone  bezoar,  mentioned  by 
Lord  Lytton,  especially  staunch  all  flux  blood  and  cure 
serpents'  bites. 

Topaz — the  gold  stone  of  the  ancients — was  much 
valued  by  them  for  medicinal  purposes,  for  dispelling 
enchantment   and   for  calming   frenzy. 

The  kingly  diamond,  which  has  become  the  appanage 
of  aristocracy,  is  the  symbol  of  justice,  innocence,  con- 
stancy, and  impassivity  of  fate. 

The  now  humble  garnet  and  the  oblong  carbuncle 
share  the  favors  of  their  parent,  the  ruby,  the  latter  of 
the  two  being  famous  for  its  light  giving  properties  in 
the  dark. 

The  sapphire,  so  useful  once  to  the  necromancer,  or 
the  holy  stone,  as  it  was  called,  was  among  the  ancients 
the  emblem  of  chastity  and  securing  the  granting  of  all 
prayers.    The  pagans  dedicated  it  to  Apollo. 

The  ruby,  the  live  coal  of  the  Greek,  is  not  less 
emblematical  and  potent,  and  the  Brahmin  traditions 
speak  wonders  of  the  abodes  of  gods,  lighted  by  enor- 
mous rubies  and  emeralds. 

The  veneration  of  the  Peruvians  for  the  green  emerald, 
dedicated  to  Mercury  by  the  ancients,  is  well  known, 
and  the  worshippers  of  Mantu  still  believe  that  the  mines 
whence  are  extracted  all  the  daughters  of  the  mother 
gem  are  guarded  by  terrible  genii,  dragons,  and  other 
one-eyed  people. 

The  peerless,  starry  opal,  that  child  of  love,  as  it  has 
been  called,  far  from  being  an  unlucky  stone,  as  it  is 
now  supposed  to  be,  was  once  believed  by  Albertus 
Magnus,  Marbodeus,  and  others,  to  rejoice  the  heart 
of  its  owner  by  rendering  him  lovable  and  bestowing 
upon  him  the  gift  of  invisibility. 


as  CURIOUS  FACTS 

The  Koh-i'Noor  was  for  centuries  the  talisman  o£ 
India;  and  when,  years  ago,  the  governor  of  Borneo 
offered  $500,000,  two  equipped  war  brigs,  and  numbers 
of  cannon  for  the  famous  stone  of  Matan,  the  rajah 
refused,  on  the  plea  that  the  fortunes  of  his  family 
were  connected  with  it,  and  that  the  water  in  which  it 
was  dipped  cured  all  diseases. 


Superstitions  About  Marriage. 

Wednesday  and  Thursday  are  especially  lucky  in  Bul- 
garia. 

Rice  is  still  thrown  after  the  newly  married  couple  in 
many  countries. 

The  last  day  of  the  year  is  a  very  popular  time  for 
espousals  in  Scotland. 

The  bees  are  informed  of  a  wedding  in  Derbyshire, 
England,  and  their  hives  decorated. 

A  rainy  day  is  as  unlucky  for  a  wedding  in  India  as  it 
is  in  most  European  countries. 

Whoever  rises  first  after  the  benediction  will,  it  is 
said,  be  the  master  of  the  household. 

An  Italian  proverb  says :  "  Friday  and  Tuesday, 
neither  marry  nor  set  out  on  a  journey." 

It  would  be  considered  extremely  unlucky  in  Eng- 
land for  the  bride  to  wear  green  during  the  ceremony. 

In  modern  Greece  neither  bride  nor  groom  will  enter 
the  house  until  promised  presents  by  the  groom's 
father. 

In  the  north  of  England,  the  wedding  cake  is  cut  into 
bits,  passed  through  the  ring,  and  thrown  among  the 
crowd. 

In  Russia,  the  bride  must  avoid  eating  the  wedding 
cake  on  the  eve  of  the  ceremony,  or  she  will  lose  her 
husband's  love. 

A  currant  bun  is  broken  over  the  bride's  head  in 
Scotland,  and  a  can  of  beer  is  poured  over  the  bride- 
groom's horse  in  Esthonia. 

Many  people  wed  on  the  moon's  increase,  and  sea- 
faring people  choose  a  flowing  tide.  Athenians  selected 
the  time  of  new  moon. 

The  German  maiden  floats  little  silver  plates  on  which 


CURIOUS  FACTS  67 

favored  names  are  inscribed,  in  a  pail  of  water.  The 
one  that  approaches  her  own  is  the  destined  groom. 

The  sneezing  of  a  cat  on  the  eve  of  a  marriage  was 
considered  a  good  omen  in  the  middle  ages,  but  the 
howling  of  a  dog  then,  as  now,  was  especially  ominous. 

In  Brittany,  peasant  girls  visit  certain  shrines  and 
pray  to  be  married  during  the  year.  Some  stick  pins 
into  the  knees  of  the  saintly  image,  to  be  treasured  as 
charms. 

In  the  Vosges  mountains,  the  young  women  who  dress 
the  bride  strive  as  to  who  shall  stick  the  first  pin  in 
the  bridal  robe,  as  the  successful  one  will  be  married 
the  same  year. 

In  Catholic  countries,  shrines  of  the  Virgin  or  par- 
ticular saints  are  diligently  visited  and  certain  rites 
performed  to  insure  the  consummation  of  hopes  and 
wishes  as  to  marriage. 

The  Romans  deemed  it  an  ill  omen  to  meet  certain 
animals  on  the  way  to  the  ceremony.  A  priest,  hare, 
dog,  cat,  lizard,  or  serpent  was  unlucky,  in  the  middle 
ages;  a  wolf,  toad,  or  spider,  lucky. 

In  Brittany,  if  the  wife  seeks  to  rule,  she  must  take 
care  that  the  ring,  when  placed  on  her  finger,  shall 
slip  at  once  to  its  place  on  her  finger,  instead  of  allow- 
ing it  to  stop  at  the  first  joint. 

Friday  is  considered  an  unlucky  day  to  wed  in  most 
countries,  but  in  Scotland  it  is  the  lucky  day  of  the 
week,  by  far  the  majority  of  weddings  being  celebrated 
on  that  day — sacred  to  Venus  and  Freya. 

In  the  north  of  England,  the  bridegroom  gives  a 
ribbon  to  each  of  the  young  men  as  he  comes  out  from 
the  church.  These  run  a  race  to  the  house,  and  the  one 
arriving  there  first  may  claim  a  kiss  from  the  bride. 

In  France,  during  the  Middle  Ages,  a  ring  of  straw, 
or  one  made  from  a  horse  shoe  nail,  was  placed  on 
the  bride's  finger,  and  some  had  as  many  as  five  such 
rings.  The  couple  also  stood  on  a  ring  during  the 
ceremony. 

In  Greece,  the  groom  is  lightly  sprinkled  with  water 
on  leaving  the  home  for  the  ceremony.  The  bride  must 
visit  the  oven  in  company  with  her  father  or  a  near  rela- 
tive, to  salute  it,  and  oliain  leave  to  set  out. 


68  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Care  should  be  taken  lest  a  dog  run  between  the 
bride  and  grcK)m  during  the  ceremony  in  the  Scotch 
Highlands,  and  the  groom's  left  shoe  must  be  left  with- 
out buckle  or  latchet,  to  prevent  witches  from  having 
any   influence   over   him. 

The  Swedish  bride  tries  to  see  the  groom  before  he 
sees  her,  to  gain  the  mastery.  She  places  her  foot 
before  his  during  the  ceremony  and  sits  in  the  bridal 
chair  first.  She  must  stand  near  the  groom,  so  that 
no  one  can  come  between  them. 

It  is  deemed  specially  ominous  in  Scotland  for  a  lump 
of  soot  to  fall  down  and  spoil  the  breakfast  on  the  day 
of  the  wedding,  for  a  bird  to  die  in  its  cage,  or  for  a 
bird  to  sit  on  the  window  sill  and  chirp  long.  The 
bride  must  carefully  avoid  breaking  a  dish  on  that  day. 

There  is  a  curious  custom  in  modern  Greece.  The 
groom  is  shaved  by  a  young  man  whose  parents  are 
both  living,  while  the  young  girls  and  young  men  sing, 
"  Razor,  silvered  and  gilt,  shave  tenderly  the  young 
man's  cheeks,  don't  leave  a  hair,  lest  the  parents  of  his 
bride  think  him  ugly." 

A  Zoological  Enigma. 

The  axolotl,  an  amphibian  which  forms  a  part  of  the 
food  supply  of  Mexico,  is  a  very  singular  creature.  It 
grows  to  a  length  of  about  a  foot,  and  has  four  legs,  a 
newt-like  tail  surmounted  by  lungs  and  gills.  While  it 
seems  to  be  more  fish  than  reptile,  some  naturalists  have 
supposed  it  to  be  the  larva  or  tadpole  of  a  gigantic 
batrachian  that  has  never  been  seen  in  the  adult  state. 
An  English  observer,  who  has  found  the  animal  capable 
of  living  entirely  in  water  or  entirely  on  land,  has  had 
a  live  specimen  in  a  dry  place  during  the  autumn,  and 
believes  that  it  is  gradually  losing  its  gills  and  becoming 
otherwise  more  terrestrial  in  character. 

Superstitions  of  Brittany. 

A  fried  mouse  is  a  specific  for  small-pox. 
To  meet  a  sow  with  a  litter  of  pigs  is  very  lucky. 
A  cinder  bounding  from  a  fire  is  either  a  purse  or  a 
coffin. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  69 

Cattle  give  warning  of  an  earthquake  by  their  uneasi- 
ness. 

It  is  unlucky  if  a  hare  runs  across  the  road  in  front 
of  you. 

A  spider  worn  in  a  nutshell  round  the  neck  is  a  cure 
for  fever. 

Crickets  bring  good  luck  to  a  house;  it  is  unlucky  to 
kill  them. 

Pigs  running  about  with  straws  in  their  mouths  fore- 
tell rain. 

Dogs  give  warning  of  death  by  scratching  at  the  door 
of  a  house. 

It  forebodes  evil  to  the  child  if  any  one  rocks  its 
cradle  when  empty. 

To  eat  the  food  which  a  mouse  has  nibbled  will  give 
a  sore  throat. 

If  a  milkmaid  neglects  to  wash  her  hands  after  milk- 
ing, her  cows  will  go  dry. 

The  clicking  or  tapping  of  the  beetle,  called  the  death 
watch,  is  an  omen  of  death. 

When  porcupines  are  hunted  or  annoyed  they  shoot 
out  their  quills  in  anger. 

If  you  count  the  number  of  fish  you  have  caught  you 
will  catch  no  more  that  day. 

If  a  crow  croaks  an  odd  number  of  times  it  means 
foul  weather ;  if  an  even  number,  fine. 

If  a  rat  or  a  mouse,  during  the  night,  gnaw  on 
clothes,  it  is  indicative  of  some  impending  evil. 

Three  hairs  taken  from  the  ''  cross  '*  on  an  asses  back 
will  cure  the  whooping  cough,  but  the  ass  will  die. 

When  cats  wash  their  ears  more  than  usual  rain  is  at 
hand.  The  sneezing  of  a  cat  indicates  good  luck  to  a 
bride. 

When  ants  are  unusually  busy,  foul  weather  is  at 
hand,  and  ants'  eggs  are  an  antidote  to  love  (this  is 
not  a  joke). 

If  bees  swarm  on  a  rotten  tree  a  death  in  the  family 
will  occur  within  a  twelvemonth.  It  is  unlucky  for  a 
stray  swarm  of  bees  to  alight  on  one's  premises. 

If  a  swallow  builds  on  a  house  it  brings  good  luck 
To  kill  a  swallow  is  unlucky.  When  swallows  fly  high 
it  will  be  fine  weather,  and  vice  versa. — Exchange. 


70  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Queer  Articles  of  Food. 

In  Arabia  the  horse  is  a  favorite  article  of  food. 

In  Egypt  various  portions  ot  the  camel  are  eaten  with 
reHsh. 

The  inhabitants  of  Cochin  China  prefer  rotten  eggs 
to  fresh  ones. 

In  India  the  flesh  of  the  elephant  is  considered  par- 
ticularly fine. 

In  South  America  the  inhabitants  eat  serpents,  lizards, 
and  centipedes. 

The  pariahs  of  Hindostan  contend  with  the  dogs,  vul- 
tures, and  kites  for  putrid  carrion. 

The  Chinese  taste  is  for  cats,  dogs,  rats,  and  ser- 
pents, while  bears'  paws  and  birds'   nests  are  dainties. 

In  the  West  Indies  a  large  caterpillar  found  on  the 
palm  tree  is  esteemed  a  luxury,  while  the  edible  nests 
of  Java  swallows  are  so  rich  a  dainty  that  the  ingredients 
of  a  dish  will  cost  as  much  as  $75.00. 

The  women  on  the  Magdalena  river,  while  shaping 
earthen  vessels  on  the  potter's  wheel,  put  large  lumps 
of  clay  in  their  mouths.  In  the  same  place  it  is  often 
necessary  to  confine  the  children  to  prevent  their 
running  out  to  eat  earth  immediately  after  a  fall  of  rain. 

A  curious  taste  prevails  in  many  parts  of  the  world 
for  clay.  It  is  eaten  in  all  the  countries  of  the  torrid 
zone,  but  the  practice  is  also  observed  in  the  north,  as 
hundreds  of  cart  loads  of  earth  containing  infusoria  are 
said  to  be  annually  consumed  by  the  country  people 
in  the  most  remote  parts  of  Sweden,  and  in  Finland  a 
kind  of  earth  is  occasionally  mixed  with  bread. 

Consumption   of  Kice. 

Rice,  is  no  doubt,  the  most  extensively  used  article 
of  food  the  world  over.  Hundreds  of  millions  of  people 
chiefly  subsist  on  it,  and  its  consumption  is  constantly 
increasing.  It  is  the  principal  diet  of  at  least  one-third 
of  the  human  race,  forming  the  chief  food  of  the  native 
populations  of  India;  China,  Japan,  Madagascar,  many 
parts  of  Africa,  and  in  fact  of  almost  all  Eastern 
nations.  The  Burmese  and  Siamese  are  the  greatest 
consumers  of  it.     A  Malay  laborer  gets  through  fifty- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  71 

six  pounds  monthly;  a  Burmese  or  Siamese  forty-six 
pounds  in  the  same  period.  The  Eastern  nations  also 
chiefly  obtain  their  beverages  from  rice,  which  is  the 
principal  grain  distilled  in  Siam,  Japan,  and  China.  Saki, 
or  rice  beer,  is  produced  in  Japan  to  the  extent  of  150,- 
000,000  gallons  annually.  Although  rice  is  such  a  uni- 
versal article  of  food,  it  is  not  so  nourishing  as  wheat 
or  some  other  grains.  More  than  nine-tenths  of  its  sub- 
stance consists  of  starch  and  water;  consequently  it 
forms  more  fat  than  muscle. 


Some  Authors'  Handwriting. 

Longfellow's  handwriting  was  a  bold,  frank,  back 
hand. 

Charlotte  Bronte's  handwriting  appeared  to  have  been 
traced  with  a  needle. 

Thackeray's  penmanship  was  marvelously  neat,  but  so 
small  that  it  could  not  always  be  read  with  comfort 
by  any  but  microscopic  eyes. 

Joaquin  Miller's  writing  is  illegible  in  itself,  and  is 
rendered  doubly  difficult  by  the  fact  that  the  author's 
spelling  is  of  the  most  eccentric  kind. 

Bryant's  was  aggressive  and  pleasing  to  the  eye,  but 
had  no  poetical  characteristics ;  and  Keats'  was  rather 
too  clerical  for  the  most  dainty  of  modern  poets. 

Napoleon's  handwriting  was  not  only  illegible;  it  is 
said  that  his  letters  from  Germany  to  Josephine  were  at 
first  taken  for  rough  maps  of  the  seat  of  war. 

Captain  Marryat's  handwriting  was  so  fine  that  when- 
ever the  copyist  rested  from  his  labors  he  was  obliged 
to  stick  a  pin  where  he  left  off  in  order  to  find  the  place 
again. 

Carlyle  reconstructed  with  pen  and  gall  what  his 
mind  and  eyes  had  seen  and  in  the  patient  but  crabbed 
and  oddly  emphasized  handwriting  much  of  his  tempera- 
ment may  be  read. 

Among  the  authors  of  the  past.  Gray,  Moore,  Leigh 
Hunt,  Walter  Scott  and  Buchanan  Read  possessed  a 
pleasing,  running  hand  which  failed  to  express  any  de- 
cided individuality. 

Charles  Dickens'  writing  was  very  minute,  and  his 


72  CURIOUS  FACTS 

habit  of  writing  with  blue  ink  upon  blue  paper,  with 
frequent  interlineations  and  cross  lines,  make  his  copy 
a  burden  alike  to  compositor  and  proof-reader. 

Byron's  handwriting  was  a  mere  scrawl,  and  his  addi- 
tions in  the  proof  were  generally  greater  than  the  orig- 
inal text.  To  one  poem,  which  contained  only  400  lines 
in  the  first  draft,  1000  were  added  in  proofs. 

A  reckless  compositor  one  day  went  to  Jules  Janin 
and  besought  him  to  decipher  some  pages  of  his  own 
manuscript.  The  great  m.an  replied  that  he  would  rather 
rewrite  than  attempt  to  read  over  again  what  he  had 
once  written. 

Among  living  authors,  Howells,  Holmes,  Andrew 
Lang,  William  Norris,  Frederick  Locker  and  George 
MacDonald,  write  hands  that  are  plain  and  legible,  and 
often  beautiful,  v/ithout  any  strongly  distinctive  char- 
acteristics. 

But  no  penman,  either  American  or  foreign,  could 
have  been  worse  than  Horace  Greeley.  "  Good  God,' 
said  a  new  compositor  to  whom  a  ''  take  "  of  the  editor's 
copy  had  been  handed,  *'  if  Belshazzar  had  seen  this 
writing  on  the  wall  he  would  have  been  more  terrihed 
than  he  was." 

Few  printers  could  read  Balzac's  copy,  and  those  who 
could  made  an  express  stipulation  with  their  employer 
to  work  at  it  only  one  hour  at  a  time.  Even  after 
the  hieroglyphics  had  been  translated  into  print,  the 
proof  sheets  came  back  more  illegible  than  the  original 
copy. 

While  having  his  house  repaired  Hon.  Rufus  Choate 
had  promised  to  send  the  model  for  a  carved  mantel- 
piece. Failing  to  obtain  what  he  wanted,  he  wrote  to 
his  workman  to  that  effect.  The  carpenter  eyed  the 
missive  from  all  points  of  view,  and  finally  decided  that 
it  must  be  the  promised  plan ;  so  he  set  to  work  to 
fashion  what  must  have  been  the  most  original  mantel- 
piece that  ever  ornamented  a  room. — Lippincott's  Maga- 
zine. 

All  In  a   Half   Century. 

The  unification  of  Italy. 

The  French  revolution  of   1848. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  73 

The  discovery  of  photography. 

The  laying  of  the  ocean  cables. 

The  discovery   of  the   telephone. 

The  emancipation  of  Russian   serfs. 

The  discovery  of  the  electric  telegraph. 

The  establishment  of  ocean  steam  navigation. 

The  overthrow  of  the  pope's  temporal  power. 

The  extension  of  Russian  power  into  Central  Asia. 

The  great  civil  war  and  abolition  of  slavery  in  the 
United  States. 

The  great  Franco-German  war  and  the  unification  of 
Germany. 

The  rise  and  fall  of  Napoleon  III.  and  establishment 
of  the  French  republic. 

The  discovery  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile  and  Niger, 
and  the  exploration  of  interior  Africa. 

The  discovery  of  the  Roentgen  Rays. 

The  Spanish-American  war  and  the  establishment  of 
the  Cuban  Republic. 

Carving  on  Peach  Stones. 

Properzia  di  Rossi,  a  maiden  of  rare  beauty,  great 
refinement,  and  unusual  education,  gave  herself  very 
early  in  life  to  the  study  of  art.  "  Minute  tracery " 
was  her  forte.  The  first  work  of  this  gifted  girl  was 
carving  on  a  peach  stone  the  crucifixion  of  our  Savior 
-—a  work  comprising  many  figures,  executioners,  dis- 
ciples, women,  and  soldiers;  all  most  remarkable  for 
delicacy  and  perfection  of  expression,  and  an  admirable 
distribution  of  the  groups.  In  the  cabinet  of  gems  in 
the  gallery  of  Florence  is  still  to  be  seen  a  cherry  stone 
on  which  is  carved  a  chorus  of  saints,  in  which  seventy 
heads  may  be  counted. 

Colors  of  the  Roman  Gods. 

The  gods  of  the  Romans  each  had  a  color  by  which 
he  might  be  designated.  They  were  as  follows: — Sat- 
urn, black  or  very  dark  blue;  Jupiter  is  ashen  grey  or 
bright  scarlet ;  Apollo  is  represented  as  of  a  deep  gold 
color ;  Mars  is  always  red,  but  with  more  of  a  brownish 
tinge  than  Jupiter's  color;  Venus'  color  is  reddish,  and 
Mercury  is  represented  as  a  light  blue. 


5r4  CURIOUS  FACTS 

I.  H.  S. 

The  initials  I.  H.  S.  signify,  ''  Jesus,  Men's  Savior." 
In  German  these  letters  stand  for  I(esus),  H(eiland), 
S(eligmacher),  i.e.  ''Jesus,  Savior,  Sanctifier."  In 
Greek,  I(esous),  H(emeteros),  S(oter),  i.e.,  ''Jesus, 
Our  Savior."  In  Latin,  I(esus),  H(ominum),  S(al- 
vator),  i.e.,  "Jesus,  Men's  Savior."  Brevier  suggests 
that  those  who  would  like  an  English  equivalent  may 
adopt  J(esus),  H(eavenly),  S(avior). 

The  Earliest  Standing  Army. 

The  earliest  standing  army  in  Europe  was  that  of 
Macedonia,  established  about  358  b.  c,  by  Philip,  father 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  It  was  the  second  in  the 
world's  history,  having  been  preceded  only  by  that  of 
Sesostris  Pharaoh,  of  Egypt,  who  organized  a  military 
caste  about  i6co  b.  c.  Of  modern  standing  armies,  that 
formed  by  the  Turkish  Janissaries  was  first,  being  fully 
organized  in  1362.  It  was  a  century  later  that  the 
standing  army  of  France,  the  earliest  in  western  Europe, 
was  established  by  Charles  VII.,  in  the  shape  of  cam- 
pagnies  d'ordonnance,  numbering  9000  men.  Rivalry 
thereupon  compelled  the  nations  to  adopt  similar  means 
of  defence.  In  England  a  standing  army  proper  was 
first  established  by  Cromwell,  but  was  disbanded  under 
Charles  II.,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  regiments  called 
the  Life  Guards,  or  Household  brigade.  This  was  the 
nucleus  of  the  present  army  w^hich,  though  practically  a 
standing  army,  is  not  legally  so,  being  provided  for 
from  year  to  year  by  the  annual  army  act. 

Married  Twenty-Five  Times. 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  "  Evelyn's  Diary," 
and  refers  to  a  Dutch  woman  who  lived  in  the  seven- 
teenth century : — "  Toward  the  end  of  August  I  returned 
to  Haarlem.  They  showed  us  a  cottage  where  they 
told  us  dwelt  a  woman  who  had  been  married  to  her 
twenty-fifth  husband,  and,  being  now  a  widow,  was 
prohibited  to  marry  in  the  future;  yet  it  could  not  be 
proved  that  she  had  ever  made  away  with  any  of  her 


CURIOUS  FACTS  75 

husbands,  though  the  suspicion  had  brought  her  divers, 
times  into  trouble." 

Brace  Up. 

Somebody,  in  telling  women  how  to  shake  off  the  ap- 
pearance of  years,  says: — "Resist  the  first  inclination 
to  stoop.  Brace  up  whenever  the  shoulders  settle  in 
the  least.  To  place  one's  self  sidewise  before  a  mirror 
and  allow  the  back  to  curve  forward,  then  gradually  to 
straighten  it,  will  convince  any  one  that,  with  every  inch 
that  is  raised,  ten  years  seem  to  be  taken  from  the  ap- 
parent age."  Nothing  so  much  assists  one  in  making 
a  favorable  impression  as  a  good  carriage.  It  is  much 
more  effective  than  a  pretty  face,  and  is  never  associated 
with  age  in  any  one's  mind.  Any  letting  down  of  the 
shoulders  or  ''  settling  "  of  the  figure  tells  at  once  that 
time  and  the  world  are  getting  the  best  of  one. 

Industry  of  Welsh  Women. 

Among  the  mountains  in  Wales  the  hat  most  in  vogue 
is  made  of  a  strong,  coarse  straw,  with  a  very  large, 
rather  shallow  crown,  and  narrow  brim,  which  is  the 
most  convenient  shape  for  carrying  loads.  On  the  top 
of  the  head  is  placed  the  "  torch,"  a  kind  of  pad  made 
out  of  a  stocking  stuffed  with  wool.  Over  this  the  hat 
is  fastened,  and  it  is  a  usual  thing  for  the  women  to 
walk  five  or  six  miles  to  the  nearest  town,  buy  their 
groceries  or  other  necessaries,  and  carry  them  home  on 
their  heads,  walking  up  and  down  the  rough  mountain 
paths  with  a  baby  tied  to  their  backs,  while  their  hands 
never  cease  the  knitting,  without  which  no  true  Welsh 
woman  is  ever  perfectly  happy. — Queen. 

A  Strange  Marriage. 

A  century  ago  the  law  of  Maine  obliged  a  husband 
to  pay  all  the  debts  of  his  bride  in  case  she  brought 
him  any  property.  As  outer  clothing  was  legal  prop- 
erty which  could  be  taken  for  debt,  an  unfortunate 
couple  who  were  deeply  in  love  resorted  to  the  experi- 
ment of  marrying  while  the  bride  was  clad  only  in  her 
night  clothes. 


76  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Superstitions  About  Friday. 

Eggs  laid  on  Friday,  will,  it  is  said,  never  decay,  and 
will,   if  eaten,   cure   the  colic. 

"  A  Friday  tree  "  is  a  saying  used  in  England  to  char- 
acterize some  misfortune  or  trial. 

Journeys  were  rarely  undertaken  on  Friday  during 
the  last  century  in  many  European  countries. 

In  1790  no  merchant  of  London  would  begin  a  voyage 
or   undertake   any   new   enterprise   on    Friday. 

In  North  Germany,  it  is  said  that  witches  obtain 
power  over  the  person  who  goes  out  unwashed  on  Fri- 
day. 

In  Devonshire,  it  was  thought  a  good  day  to  plant 
crops,  and  in  other  places  to  commence  weaning  chil- 
dren. 

Mediaeval  romances  assert  that  fairies  are  on  Friday 
turned  into  hideous  animals,  remaining  so  until  Mon- 
day. 

Friday  is,  according  to  the  Welsh,  Irish,  and  Scotch, 
a  day  consecrated  to  the  fairies,  who  then  can  do  much 
mischief. 

A  Dutch  wife  will,  if  she  can,  obtain  a  ring  that  is 
made  from  old  nails  during  mass  on  Friday,  lay  it  upon 
the  gospels,  and  say  a  paternoster. 

It  was  not  a  proper  occasion,  either  in  England  or 
Holland,  to  engage  a  new  servant,  nor  would  any 
servant  go  to  service  in  a  new  place  on  Friday. 

Portuguese  sailors  have  a  custom  of  dressing  their 
ships  in  mourning  on  this  day,  and  of  scourging  and 
hanging  an  effigy  of  Judas  at  the  yardarm. 

The  Talmud  tells  us  that  Adam  was  created,  sinned, 
and  was  chased  from  Paradise  on  Friday.  Mahomet,  to 
prove  his  prophetic  powers,  declared  the  same. 

It  has  been  claimed  as  a  lucky  day  for  America — Co- 
lumbus discovered  land  on  that  day,  the  pilgrims  landed 
on  the  same  day,  and  Washington  was  born  on  Friday. 

Many  persons  reverse  the  rule,  and  declare  that  this 
is  to  them  a  lucky  day.  Dickens  said  that  it  was  for- 
tunate for  his  undertakings,  most  of  which  were  suc- 
cessful  when   begun   or    ended  on   Friday. 

In  most  European  countries,  marriages  consummated 
on  Friday  are  sure  to  be  unhappy  ones,  and  are  rare; 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^y 

but  Germany  and  Scotland  are  exceptions,  it  being  there 
consiaered  a  lucky  day  to  wed. 

Superstitions  About  Insects. 

The  Koran  says  all  tlies  shall  perish  save  one,  the 
bee  iiy. 

It  IS  regarded  as  a  death  warning  in  Germany  to  hear 
a  cricket's  cry. 

The  Tapuya  Indians  of  South  America  say  the  devil 
assumes  the  form  of  a  tiy. 

Ram  is,  in  some  parts  of  our  own  country,  expected 
to  follow  unusually  loud  chirping  of  crickets. 

Flies  are  sometimes  regarded  as  furnishing  prognosti- 
cations of  the  weather,  and  even  of  other  events. 

Spaniards,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  believed  that 
spiders  indicated  gold,  where  they  were  found  in  abun- 
dance. 

Although  a  sacred  insect  among  the  Egyptians,  the 
beetle  receives  but  little  notice  in  folk  lore.  It  is  un- 
lucky in  England  to  kill  one. 

In  Germany,  it  is  said  to  indicate  good  luck  to  have 
a  spider  spin  his  web  downwards  toward  you,  but 
bad  luck  when  he  rises  toward  you. 

The  grasshopper  is  a  sufficiently  unwelcome  visitant 
of  himself  in  this  country,  but  in  Germany  his  presence 
is  further  said  to  announce  strange  guests. 

A  Welsh  tradition  says  hees  came  from  Paradise, 
leaving  the  garden  when  man  fell,  but  with  God's  bless- 
ing, so  that  wax  is  necessary  in  the  celebration  of  the 
mass. 

The  ancients  generally  maintained  that  there  was  a 
close  connection  between  bees  and  the  soul.  Porphyry 
speaks  of  "  those  souls  which  the  ancients  called  bees.'* 

It  is  said  that  upon  the  tacks  of  the  seven-year  lo- 
custs, there  sometimes  appear  marks  like  a  letter  of  the 
alphabet.  When  this  looks  like  a  W  it  is  thought  that 
a  war  is  imminent. 

German  tribes  regarded  stag  beetles  as  diabolic,  and 
all  beetles  are  detested,  in  Ireland,  more  especially  a 
bronze  variety  known  as  "  gooldie.'*  It  is  also  believed 
that  to  see  a  beetle  will  bring  on  a  rain  storm  the 
next  day. 


78 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


There  are  said  to  be  no  spiders  in  Ireland,  nor  will 
spiders  spin  their  web  in  an  Irish  oak,  nor  on  a  cedar 
roof.  A  spider  is  said  to  have  saved  Mohammed  from 
his  pursuers,  by  spinning  its  web  across  a  cave  where 
he  sought  refuge.  The  same  is  said  of  David,  in  the 
cave  of  Adullam. — Cincinnati  Enquirer. 

The    Origin   of    O.   K. 

More  than  a  century  ago  the  best  tobacco  and  the  best 
rum  came  from  Aux  Cayes  (pronounced  O  K),  and  the 
best  of  anything  was  designated  as  Aux  Cayes,  or  O.  K. 
This  meaning  of  the  phrase  is  still  retained.  In  the 
Jackson  campaign  every  lie  that  could  be  invented  was 
invented  to  blacken  the  general's  character,  and  an  in- 
dorsement that  he  had  made,  "  this  is  O.  K."  (mean- 
ing the  best),  was  taken  by  Seba  Smith,  and  declared 
by  him  to  be  but  an  abbreviation  of  the  general's  cus- 
tomary indorsement  of  papers  as  ''  oil  kerrect."  The 
Democrats  took  up  this  statement  and  fastened  the 
mystic  letters  upon  their  banners.  The  meaning  "  all 
correct "  stuck  to  the  letters,  and  since  then  they  have 
been  used  in  the  two  meanings  of  '*  the  best "  and  "  all 
right." 

England  Ruled  by  Foreigners. 

It  is  surprising  to  think  how  few  of  the  men  who 
hold  the  destinies  of  England  in  their  hands  are — Eng- 
lishmen. The  Marquis  of  Salisbury  and  Lord  Harting- 
ton  are  typical  of  the  national  character.  Mr.  Glad- 
stone belonged  to  every  birthplace — save  his  own.  The 
Duke  of  Portland  is  a  Dutchman,  one  Hendrik  Bentinck, 
Herr  Van  Dipenham  in  Overyssel,  Baron  H.  de  Worms 
is  a  German,  Mr.  Ashmead-Bartlett  belongs  to  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Goschen  is  of  Huguenot  descent,  as 
is  *'  the  Christian  member  for  Northampton,"  Mr.  Henry 
Labouchere,  and  also  Mr.  Shaw-Lefevre.  The  mother 
of  the  late  Queen  Victoria  was  a  German.  Her  mar- 
ried sons  and  daughters  have,  with  one  exception, 
espoused  foreigners.  The  exception  is  a  Scotchman. 
The  Argyll  alliance,  however,  cannot  be  said  to  have 
been  a  remarkably  happy  one. — Leeds  Mercury, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  79 

Bleeding  to  Death. 

It  is  not  now  generally  remembered,  but  it  is  literally- 
true,  that  Washington  was  bled  to  death  by  his  doctors. 
The  doctors  were  not  to  blame  for  this.  They  only 
did  what  their  professional  forerunners  had  been  doing 
under  similar  circumstances  for  ages,  and  what  Wash- 
ington himself  would  probably  have  desired  had  he 
been  caught  without  medical  advice.  But— we  speak 
under  correction  in  this  (says  The  Nation) — it  is  prob- 
ably at  least  fifty  years  since  any  distinguished  man 
has  run  any  similar  risk  in  the  United  States.  In  other 
words,  within  the  past  half  century,  American,  Eng- 
lish, and  French  doctors  have  abandoned  what  for  thou- 
sands of  years  they  had  treated  as  the  sheet  anchor  of 
their  treatment,  a  remedy  which  they  applied  in  nine 
out  of  ten  cases  which  fell  into  their  hands.  A  more 
striking  illustration  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  medical 
art  its  revilers  are  not  able  to  produce.  It  is  true  the 
doctors  try  to  weaken  the  force  of  the  illustration  by 
pleading  that  the  characteristics  of  diseases  have 
changed,  that  they  are  no  longer  of  the  inflammatory 
type  as  they  used  to  be,  or  so  much  the  result  of 
plethora;  but  this  does  not  make  much  impression.  The 
practice  is  still  kept  up  in  those  countries  in  which 
medical  education  has  made  least  advances — Spain,  for 
instance,  and  Italy.  Within  our  own  time,  another  great 
man  of  the  Washington  type.  Count  Cavour,  has  been 
slain  by  medical  bleeding  precisely  as  Washington  was. 
The  worse  Cavour  grew,  the  more  his  doctors  bled 
him,  and  he  finally  succumbed  under  the  treatment,  in 
the  flower  of  his  age  and  in  the  midst  of  his  useful- 
ness.—^Son  Francisco  Argonaut. 

The  Growth  of  Finger  Nails. 

It  has  been  computed  that  the  average  growth  of  the 
finger  nail  is  1-32  of  an  inch  per  week,  or  a  little  more 
than  an  inch  and  a  half  per  year.  The  growth,  how- 
ever, depends  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  rate  of  nutri- 
tion, and  during  periods  of  sickness  or  of  abstinence 
it  is  retarded.  It  is  understood  to  go  on  faster  in 
summer  th<in  in  winter,  and  differs  for  different  fingers. 


8o  CURIOUS  FACTS 

being  most  rapid  in  the  middle  finger  and  slowest  in 
the  thumb,  according  to  one  investigator,  and  in  the 
little  finger  according  to  another. 

The  same  two  authorities,  Bertholdi  and  Benham, 
differ,  too,  with  regard  to  the  equality  of  growth  on 
both  hands,  the  former  holding  that  the  nails  of  the 
right  hand  grow  faster  than  those  of  the  left,  but  the 
latter  can  perceive  no  difference  between  them.  Ac- 
cording to  the  rate  of  growth  stated,  the  average  time 
taken  for  each  finger  nail  to  grow  its  full  length  is 
about  four  and  a  half  months,  and  at  this  rate  a  man 
of  70  would  have  renewed  his  nails  186  times.  Taking 
the  length  of  each  nail  at  half  an  inch,  he  would  have 
grown  seven  feet  nine  inches  of  nail  on  each  finger, 
and  on  all  his  fingers  and  thumbs  an  aggregate  length 
of  seventy-seven   feet   six   inches. 

The  Rod. 

The  advocates  of  whipping  as  a  means  of  family  dis- 
cipline are  accustomed  to  nuote  Solomon  as  saying: 
"  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child."  What  Solomon 
said  was :  "  He  that  spareth  the  rod  hateth  his  son."  But 
the  word  "  rod  "  in  that  connection  does  not  necessarily 
refer  to  corporal  punishment.  It  simply  means  parental 
authority  and  guidance.  The  same  Hebrew  word  is 
used  in  Psalm  xxiii.,  where  David  says :  **  The  Lord  is 
my  shepherd;  I  shall  not  want.  *  *  His  rod  and 
His  staff  they  comfort  me."  The  rod  was  the  symbol 
of  authority  and  power,  not  a  raw  hide  nor  a  hickory 
withe. 

The  Perusal  of  a  Book. 

Select  books  that  are  informing,  and  so  far  as  in  your 
power  equip  yourselves  with  wide  knowledge  in  all 
branches  of  history,  literature,  and  affairs.  Are  you 
deficient  in  any  of  these?  Then  seek  the  best  author- 
ities, and  bring  yourself  to  the  highest  standard  in  that 
field  without  delay.  Let  your  intellectual  progress  be 
marked  with  positive  accumulations.  When  you  read 
a  book  that  is  really  worth  the  time  you  spend  with  it, 
do  not  cram  your  mind  with  others,  as  a  man  in  a  hurry 


CURIOUS  FACTS  8r 

is  apt  to  cram  his  gripsack,  but  do  a  little  earnest  and 
profitable  thinking  before  you  take  up  its  successor  in 
your  reading  course.  The  perusal  of  a  book  gives  birth 
to  ideas  in  no  way  connected  with  the  subject  of  which 
it  treats.  All  careful  readers  should,  however,  avoid 
dwelling  too  long  upon  one  line  of  study  or  thought. 
Light  and  varied  reading  should  be  interspersed  with 
the  solid  and  useful.  An  extreme  in  either  direction 
is  to  be  avoided. — Magazine  of  American  History. 

Long  Hours. 

An  extraordinary  instance  of  long  hours  of  labor 
came  to  light  through  the  sweating  committee  of  the 
House  of  Lords.  A  Roumanian  Jew,  about  thirty-five, 
small  and  of  poor  physique,  was  examined  through  an 
interpreter  in  a  mixture  of  Hebrew  and  German.  He 
arrived  in  Hull  via  Hamburg,  intending  to  proceed  to 
America,  but  not  having  money  enough  to  pay  his  fare 
he  was  sent  to  Manchester.  There  he  works  from  5 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  12  at  night,  and  sometimes 
until  one  or  two  in  the  morning,  making  an  average  of 
twenty  hours  a  day  for  six  days  in  the  week,  leaving 
only  four  hours  for  sleep.  He  earned  75  cents  a  day 
during  the  busy  time,  lasting  about  ten  weeks,  and  from 
$1.50  to  $2.00  per  week  in  the  slack  season,  and  on  this 
he  had  to  support  a  wife  and  six  children.  He  used  to 
work  in  Roumania  fourteen  hours  a  day  for  $4.00  a 
week,  so  that  he  was  better  off  in  Roumania  than  in 
England,  but  he  had  not  sufficient  means  to  return.  He 
had  written  to  dissuade  his  countrymen  against  coming 
to  England. 

An  Extraordinary  Mental  Power. 

I  know  of  a  case  where  the  person  who  recognized 
evidence  of  a  power  of  influencing  another's  mind 
through  some  sympathetic  action,  was  most  unwilling  to 
be  convinced.  He  was  a  doctor  and  opposed  to  all  be- 
lief in  faith  cures,  and  to  all  which  seemed  to  favor  the 
doctrme  that  mind  can  influence  mind.  He  had  con- 
ceived also  a  strong  feeling  of  personal  dislike  for  the 
thought-reader — an    American    of    some    celebrity    or 


82  CURIOUS  FACTS 

notoriety,  I  will  not  say  which.  He  offered  himself  as 
a  "  subject/'  believing  that  the  exhibition  was  chiefly 
humbug,  the  other  "subjects"  mostly  confederates.  He 
mentally  located  a  '"  pain " — that  is,  he  thought  of  a 
pain — in  a  particular  nerve.  To  his  surprise  the  thought- 
reader  began  to  pass  his  hand  over  his  (the  exhibitor's) 
right  jaw,  and  presently  marked  with  his  finger  the 
precise  course  of  the  nerve  along  which  the  doctor  had 
imagined  the  pain  to  extend. 

We  see  in  such  experiments  an  inchoate  form  of  the 
power  which  seems  in  some  cases  to  have  been  pos- 
sessed by  persons  under  strong  mental  emotion,  of  in- 
fluencing others  at  a  distance.  I  do  not  know  how  the 
evidence  can  be  rejected  showing  that  on  certain  occa- 
sions such  power  has  been  exerted — usually  without  any 
conscious  effort.  It  seems  much  more  incautious  to 
reject  the  evidence  than  to  admit  the  existence  of  such 
a  power — not,  however,  as  something  supernatural,  nor 
even  as  preternatural  or  extra  natural,  but  simply  as  a 
quality  not  yet  explained  or  understood  and  recognized, 
as  it  seems  to  merit  special  investigation. — Richard  A. 
Proctor  in  Boston  Globe. 

Bismarck's  Famous  Sentence. 

It  is  proposed  to  use  the  famous  sentence  of  Prince 
Bismarck,  "  We  Germans  fear  God,  but  nothing  else," 
as  the  national  German  motto.  A  number  of  students 
have  been  hunting  for  the  origin  of  that  expression  ever 
since  to  prove  that  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun. 
One  finds  it  in  Racine's  "  Athalie,"  as  the  saying  of  the 
high  priest  Joash,  and  another  has  discovered  a  passage 
almost  identical  in  Carlyle's  eloquent  description  of 
Abbot  Samson  C'  Past  and  Present,"  book  II.,  chapter 
17).  These  scholars  would  destroy  all  the  patriotism  in 
Germany  if  they  had  their  way. 

Witty  Toasts. 

Chambers'  Journal  has  collected  some  witty  and  amus- 
ing toasts  given  at  banquets,  and,  in  reading  them,  one 
can  only  sigh,  "  Would  I  had  been  there?  " 

A  rather  cynical  toast  ran  thus :  ''  Woman— she  re- 
quires no  eulogy ;  she  speaks  for  herself." 


CURIOUS  FACTS  83 

A  gallant  young  man,  under  the  same  festal  circum- 
stances, referred  to  one  member  of  the  sex  he  eulogized 
as  "  a  delectable  dear,  so  sweet  that  honey  would  blush 
in  her  presence,  and  treacle  stand  appalled." 

At  the  marriage  supper  of  a  deaf  and  dumb  couple 
one  guest,  in  the  speech  of  the  evening,  wished  them 
**  unspeakable  bliss." 

A  writer  of  comedies  was  giving  a  banquet  in  honor 
of  his  latest  work,  at  which  a  jovial  guest  gave  the 
toast:  *' The  author's  very  good  health!  May  he  live 
to  be  as  old  as  his  jokes." 

At  another  gathering  were  toasted,  "  The  bench  and 
the  bar :  If  it  were  not  for  the  bar,  there  would  be  little 
use  for  the  bench." 

As  pithy  was  the  following  toast,  proposed  at  a  shoe- 
maker's dinner:  "May  we  have  all  the  women  in  the 
country  to  shoe,  and  all  the  men  to  boot." 

A  Perfect  Woman  Nobly  Planned. 

A  perfectly  formed  woman  will  stand  at  the  average 
height  of  5  feet  3  inches  to  5  feet  7  inches.  She  will 
weigh  from  125  to  140  pounds. 

A  plumb  line  dropped  from  a  point  marked  by  the 
tip  of  her  nose  will  fall  at  a  point  one  inch  in  front  of 
her  great  toe.  Her  shoulders  and  her  hips  will  strike  a 
straight  line  drawn  up  and  down.  Her  waist  will  taper 
gradually  to  a  size  on  a  line  drawn  from  the  outer  third 
of  the  collar  bone  to  the  hips. 

Her  bust  will  measure  from  28  to  36  inches;  her  hips 
will  measure  from  6  to  10  inches  more  than  this,  and 
her  waist  will  call  for  a  belt  from  22  to  28  inches. 

The  upper  arm  of  the  perfectly  formed  woman  will 
end  at  the  waist  line,  so  that  she  can  rest  her  elbow 
on  a  table  while  standing  erect,  and  her  forearm  shall 
extend  to  a  point  permitting  the  fingers  to  mark  a  point 
just  below  the  middle  of  the  thigh.  Her  neck  and 
thigh  should  be  of  the  same  circumference.  The  calf 
of  her  leg  and  upper  arm  should  measure  about  the 
same. 

Her  legs  should  be  about  as  long  as  a  line  drawn  from 
her  chin  to  her  finger  tips,  or  about  one-half  her  height. 
She  should  measure  from  her  waist  to  her  feet  about  a 


84  CURIOUS  FACTS 

foot  more  than  from  her  waist  to  the  crown  of  her  head. 

Her  neck  should  be  from  twelve  to  fourteen  inches 
around,  her  head  erect  and  on  a  line  with  the  central 
plane  of  the  body,  and  her  foot  should  be  of  a  size  and 
shape  to  conform  with  her  hands. 

The  well-proportioned  woman  wears  a  shoe  one-half 
the  size  of  the  glove  that  her  hand  calls  for.  Thus,  if  a 
woman  wears  a  six  glove  she  should  wear  a  three  shoe. 

Coined  Money — Its  Origin. 

When  precious  metals — gold,  silver,  copper  or  iron — 
began  to  be  used  for  payment,  they  were  at  first  simply 
weighed.  Englishmen  still  speak  of  a  pound  instead  of 
a  sovereign.  The  next  step  was  to  issue  pieces  of  gold 
and  silver  properly  weighed,  and  then  to  mark  the  exact 
weight  and  value  on  each  piece. 

This  was  done  in  Assyria  and  Babylonia,  where  we 
find  shekels  or  pounds  of  gold  and  silver.  The  com- 
merce of  the  eastern  nations  was  carried  on  for  cen- 
turies by  means  of  these  weights  of  metal.  It  was  the 
Greeks,  the  Greeks  of  Phocsea  in  Ionia,  who  in  the 
seventh  century  b.  c.  first  conceived  the  idea  of  coining 
money,  that  is  of  stamping  on  each  piece  their  city 
arms,  the  phoca  or  seal,  thus  giving  the  warranty  of 
their  state  for  the  right  weight  and  value  of  those  pieces. 
From  Phocsea  this  art  of  coining  spread  rapidly  to 
the  other  Greek  towns  of  Asia  Minor,  and  was  thence 
transplanted  to  ^^gina,  the  Peleponnesus,  Athens,  and 
the  Greek  colonies  in  Africa  and  in  Italy. 

The  weight  of  the  most  ancient  gold  coin  in  all  these 
countries  was  originally  the  same  as  that  of  the  ancient 
Babylonian  gold  shekel,  only  stamped  with  the  arms 
of  each  country,  which  thus  made  itself  responsible  for 
its  proper  weight.  And  this  gold  shekel  or  pound,  in 
spite  of  historical  disturbances,  has  held  its  own  through 
centuries.  The  gold  coins  of  Croesus,  Darius,  Philip 
and.  Alexander  have  all  pbotit  the  same  weight  as  the 
old  Babylonian  gold  shekel,  60  of  them  going  to  I  mina 
of  gold ;  and,  what  is  stranger  still,  a  sovereign,  or 
pound,  or  shekel,  has  nearly  the  same  weight,  60  of  them 
going  to  an  old  Babylonian  mina  of  gold.  In  ancient 
times  20  silver  drachmas  or  half  shekels  went  to  a  gold 


CURIOUS  FACTS  85 

shekel,  just  as  in  England  20  silver  shillings  are  equiva- 
lent to  a  sovereign.  This  ancient  shilling  was  again 
subdivided  into  60  copper  coins,  60  being  the  favorite 
Babylonian  figure. 

Old  Bank   Uotes. 

The  oldest  bank  notes  are  the  "  flying  money,"  or 
**  convenient  money,"  first  issued  in  China,  2697  b.  c. 
Originally  these  notes  were  issued  by  the  treasury,  but 
experience  dictated  a  change  to  the  banks  under  gov- 
ernment inspection  and  control.  A  writer  in  a  pro- 
vincial paper  says  that  the  early  Chinese  "  greenbacks  " 
were  in  all  essentials  similar  to  the  modern  bank  notes, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  bank,  date  of  issue,  the  number 
of  the  note,  the  signature  of  the  official  issuing  it,  indi- 
cations of  its  value  in  figures,  in  words  and  in  the  pic- 
torial representation  in  coins  or  heaps  of  coins  equal 
in  amount  to  its  face  value,  and  a  notice  of  the  pains 
and  penalties  of  counterfeiting.  Over  and  above  all  was 
a  laconic  exhortation  of  industry  and  thrift :  ''  Produce 
all  you  can;  spend  with  economy."  The  note  was 
printed  in  blue  ink  on  paper  made  from  the  fibre  of 
the  mulberry  tree.  One  issued  in  1399  b.  c.  is  still  care- 
fully preserved  in  the  Asiatic  museum  at  St.  Peters- 
burg. 

Calendar  Items. 

The  years  400,  800,  1200,  as  well  as  the  intervening 
centurial  years,  were  leap  years;  it  was  Pope  Gregory 
XIII.,  who,  in  1582,  reformed  the  calendar  so  that  only 
the  centurial  years,  divisible  without  a  remainder  by 
four,  should  be  leap  years.  A.  D.  1600  was,  and  2000 
will  be,  a  leap  year.  The  months  had  respectively,  these 
number  of  days: — 31,  30,  31,  30,  31,  30,  31,  30,  30,  30, 
30,  31,  making  a  total  of  365  days  in  the  year.  Augustus 
changed  the  name  of  Sextiles  in  his  own  honor  (the 
Roman  year  began  originally  with  March)  and  added 
to  it  one  day,  which  he  took  from  February;  another  of 
February's  days  he  gave  to  October. 

Why  Sixty  Seconds  Make  a  Minute. 

Why  is  our  hour  divided  into  sixty  minutes,  each 
ininute  into  sixty  seconds,  etc.?    Simply  and  solely  be* 


86  CURIOUS  FACTS 

cause  in  Babylonia  there  existed,  by  the  side  of  the  deci- 
mal system  of  notation,  another  system,  the  sexagesimal, 
which  counted  by  sixties.  Why  that  number  should 
have  been  chosen,  is  clear  enough,  and  it  speaks  well 
for  the  practical  sense  of  those  ancient  Babylonian  mer- 
chants. There  is  no  number  which  has  so  many  divisors 
as  sixty.  The  Babylonians  divided  the  sun's  daily 
journey  into  twenty-four  parasangs,  or  720  stadia.  Each 
parasang  or  hour  was  subdivided  into  sixty  minutes.  A 
parasang  is  about  a  German  mile,  and  Babylonian 
astronomers  compared  the  progress  made  by  the  sun 
during  one  hour  at  the  time  of  the  equinox  to  the 
progress  made  by  a  good  walker  during  the  same  time, 
both  accomplishing  one  parasang.  The  whole  course  of 
the  sun  during  the  twenty-four  equinoctial  hours  was 
fixed  at  twenty-four  parasangs,  or  720  stadia,  or  360 
degrees. 

The  system  was  handed  on  to  the  Greeks,  and  Hip- 
parchus,  the  great  philosopher,  who  lived  about  150  b.  c, 
introduced  the  Babylonian  hour  into  Europe.  Ptolemy, 
who  wrote  about  150  a.  d.,  and  whose  name  still  lives 
in  that  of  the  Ptolemaic  system  of  astronomy,  gave  still 
wider  currency  to  the  Babylonian  way  of  reckoning 
time.  It  was  carried  along  on  the  quiet  stream  of  tra- 
ditional knowledge  through  the  Middle  Ages,  and, 
strange  to  say,  it  sailed  down  safely  over  the  Niagara 
of  the  French  Revolution.  For  the  French,  when  revo- 
lutionizing weights,  measures,  coins,  and  dates,  and 
subjecting  all  to  the  decimal  system  of  reckoning,  were 
induced  by  some  unexplained  motive  to  respect  our 
clocks  and  watches,  and  allowed  our  dials  to  remain 
sexagesimal,  that  is,  Babylonian,  each  hour  consisting 
of  sixty  minutes.  Here  you  see  again  the  wonderful 
coherence  of  the  world,  and  how  what  we  call  knowl- 
edge is  the  result  of  an  unbroken  tradition  of  a  teach- 
ing  descending  from  father  to  son.  Not  more  than 
about  a  hundred  arms  would  reach  from  us  to  the  build- 
ers of  the  palaces  of  Babylon,  and  enable  us  to  shake 
hands  with  the  founders  of  the  oldest  pyramids  and  to 
thank  them  for  what  they    have    done    for    us. — Max 

MULLER, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  87 

A  Wonderful  Watch. 

At  the  time  of  her  coronation  at  Moscow,  in  1724, 
Catherine  L,  Empress  of  Russia,  was  presented  with  a 
watch  as  wonderful  in  every  particular  as  the  famous 
Strasburg  clock;  even  more  wonderful  when  the  deli- 
cacy of  its  construction  is  taken  into  consideration.  It 
weighed  seven  ounces  and  was  both  a  repeater  and  a 
musical  time-keeper.  On  the  opposite  side  from  the 
works  or  time  keeping  part  of  the  wonder^  there  was 
an  exact  counterpart  of  the  holy  sepulchre  with  a  carved 
image  of  the  Roman  guard;  this  scene  could  be  viewed 
through  the  glass  in  the  case.  Upon  opening  the  case 
the  imitation  stones  would  roll  away  from  the  mouth 
of  the  miniature  sepulchre,  the  guard  would  kneel, 
angels  appear  at  opposite  sides  of  the  opening,  and 
about  this  time  the  music  would  start  up  and  play,  in 
soft,  sweet  strains,  the  Easter  songs  so  well  known  to 
all  Russians.  The  maker  of  this  wonderful  piece  of 
mechanism  is  said  to  have  worked  upon  it  almost  un- 
interruptedly for  a  period  of  nine  years. — ^John  W. 
Wright. 

Watch  Screws. 

It  is  asserted  that  the  smallest  screws  in  the  world 
are  those  used  in  the  production  of  watches.  Thus,  the 
fourth  jewel  wheel  screw  is  the  next  thing  to  invisible, 
and  to  the  naked  eye  it  looks  like  dust;  with  a  glass, 
however,  it  is  seen  to  be  a  small  screw,  with  260  threads 
to  the  inch,  and  with  a  very  fine  glass  the  threads  may 
be  seen  quite  clearly.  These  minute  screws  are  4-ioooth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  the  heads  are  double;  it  is 
also  estimated  that  an  ordinary  lady's  thimble  would 
hold  100,000  of  these  screws.  No  attempt  is  ever  made 
to  count  them,  the  method  pursued  in  determining  the 
number  being  to  place  100  of  them  on  a  very  delicate 
balance,  and  the  number  of  the  whole  amount  is  de- 
termined by  the  weight  of  these.  After  being  cut  the 
screws  are  hardened  and  put  in  frames,  about  100  to  the 
frame,  heads  up,  this  being  done  very  rapidly  by  sense 
of  touch  instead  of  by  sight,  and  the  heads  are  then 
polished  in  an  automatic  machine  10,000  at  a  time.    The 


8^  CURIOUS  FACTS 

plate  on  which  the  polishing  is  performed  is  covered 
with  oil  and  a  grinding  compound,  and  on  this  the 
machine  moves  them  rapidly  by  reversing  motion. 

Separate  Pieces  in  a  Watch. 

The  average  watch  is  composed  of  175  different  pieces, 
comprising  upward  of  2,400  separate  and  distinct  opera- 
tions in  its  manufacture.  The  balance  has  18,000  beats 
or  vibrations  per  hour;  12,960,080  in  thirty  days,  157,- 
680,000  in  one  year ;  it  travels  i  43-100  inches  with  each 
vibration,  which  is  equal  to  9  3-4  miles  in  twenty-four 
hours,  292  1-2  miles  in  thirty  days,  or  3,558  3-4  miles 
in  one  year. 

A  500-Year-Old  Clock. 

After  having  regularly  struck  the  hours  for  500  years, 
the  old  clock  of  St.  Quentins,  in  Mayence,  has  got  out 
of  order  and  is  being  repaired.  After  the  repairs  are 
made  it  is  confidently  expected  that  it  will  do  its  duty 
for  five  more  centuries. — New  York  Tribune. 

How   Large   Was   Ancient   RomeP 

After  carefully  examining  all  the  data  we  have,  all 
the  statements  of  the  various  ancient  writers  who  allude 
to  it,  and  all  the  facts  which  seem  to  bear  on  the  ques- 
tion, I  am  convinced  that  in  estimating  the  number  at 
4,000,000,  I  am  rather  understating  than  overstating  it. 
It  is  much  more  probable  that  it  was  larger  than  that 
it  was  smaller.  De  Quincy  also  estimates  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Rome  at  4,000,000.  I  will  only  cite  one  fact, 
and  then  leave  this  question.  The  Circus  Maximus  was 
constructed  to  hold  250,000,  or,  according  to  Victor,  at 
a  later  period  probably,  385.000  spectators.  Taking  the 
smaller  number,  then,  it  would  be  i  in  16  of  all  the  in- 
habitants if  there  were  4,000,000.  But  as  one-half  the 
population  was  composed  of  slaves,  who  must  be  struck 
out  of  the  spectators,  when  the  circus  was  built  there 
would  be  accommodation  then  for  i  in  eight  of  the  total - 
population,  excluding  slaves.  Reducing  again  the  num- 
ber one-half  by  striking  out  the  women,  there  would 
be  room  for  i  in  4.  Again  striking  out  the  young  chil- 
dren and  the  old  men  and  the  sick  and  impotent,  you 


CURIOUS  FACTS  89 

would  have  accommodation  for  nearly  the  whole  popula- 
tion. Is  it  possible  to  believe  that  the  Romans  con- 
structed a  circus  to  hold  the  entire  population  of.  Rome 
capable  of  going  to  it? — for  such  must  have  been  the 
case  were  there  only  4,000,000  inhabitants.  ^  But  sup- 
pose there  were  only  1,000,000  inhabitants,  it  is  plain 
from  the  mere  figures  that  it  would  never  have  been 
possible  to  half  fill  the  circus. — Blackwood's  Magazine. 

The  Seven  Bibles. 

The  seven  bibles  of  the  world  are  the  Koran  of  the 
Mohammedans,  the  Tri  Pitikes  of  the  Buddhists,  the 
Five  Kings  of  the  Chinese,  the  Three  Vedas  of  the 
Hindoos,  the  Zendavesta,  and  the  Scripture  of  the 
Christians. 

The  Koran  is  the  most  recent  of  the  five,  dating  from 
about  the  seventh  century  after  Christ.  It  is  a  com- 
pound of  quotations  from  both  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments and  from  the  Talmud.  The  Tri  Pitikes  contain 
sublime  morals  and  pure  aspirations.  Their  author  lived 
and  died  in  the  sixth  century  before  Christ. 

The  sacred  writings  of  the  Chinese  are  called  the 
Five  Kings,  the  word  ''  kings  "  meaning  web  of  cloth. 
From  this  it  is  presumed  that  they  were  originally 
written  on  five  rolls  of  cloth.  They  contain  wise  sayings 
from  the  sages  on  the  duties  of  life,  but  they  cannot 
be  traced  further  back  than  the  eleventh  century  before 
our  era. 

The  Vedas  are  the  most  ancient  books  in  the  language 
of  the  Hindoos,  but  they  do  not,  according  to  late  com- 
mentators, antedate  the  twelfth  century  before  the  Chris- 
tian era. 

The  Zendavesta  of  the  Persians,  next  to  our  Bible,  is 
reckoned  among  scholars  as  being  the  greatest  and  most 
learned  of  the  sacred  writings.  Zoroaster,  whose  say- 
ings it  contains,  lived  and  worked  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury before  Christ.  Moses  lived  and  wrote  the  Penta- 
teuch 1500  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ;  therefore, 
that  portion  of  our  Bible  is  at  least  300  years  older  than 
the  most  ancient  of  other  sacred  writings. 

The  Eddas,  a  semi-sacred  work  of  the  Scandinavians 


90  CURIOUS  FACTS 

was  first  given  to  the  world  in  the  fourteenth  century. 
— Exchange. 

Queer   Questions. 

Centuries  ago  Samson  proposed  a  riddle — the  earliest 
of  which,  history  treats — to  the  Philistines,  allowing  them 
a  week  in  which  to  answer  it,  a  length  of  time  that 
would  have  been  insufficient  but  for  the  assistance  of 
Samson's  wife. 

Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  had  a  mania  for  constructing 
riddles,  as  also  had  Solomon,  and  the  wager  of  an  im- 
mense sum  of  money  between  the  two  as  to  which  could 
construct  the  most  perplexing  one  was  won  by  the 
latter. 

Archimedes,  the  famous  mathematician  of  Syracuse, 
passed  most  of  his  leisure — to  the  surprise  of  many  of 
his  friends — in  the  production  or  solving  of  puzzles,  and 
his  discovery  of  how  much  alloy  its  maker  had  mixed 
with  the  gold  in  King  Hiero's  crown  was  nothing  but 
the  solution  of  a  puzzle. 

The  Greeks  had  a  curious  puzzle. 

"If  Achilles,  racing  with  a  turtle,  gives  the  reptile 
100  yards  start,  and  runs  ten  yards  while  the  reptile 
runs  one,   when  will  he  overtake  it?" 

Theoretically,  never;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  must  in 
the  course  of  time. 

A  very  perplexing  question,  one  well  calculated  to 
catch  the  wise  as  well  as  the  unwary,  was  that  pro- 
posed to  the   Roman   senate : 

"  Why  does  a  pail  of  water,  with  a  fish  swimming 
in  it,  weigh  no  more  than  the  same  pail  of  water  without 
the  fish  ?  " 

It  called  forth  much  discussion  from  the  members  of 
that  august  body,  who  explained  the  singular  circum- 
stance in  different  ways  to  their  entire  satisfaction,  but 
found  by  experiment  that  the  pail  of  water  did  weigh 
more  when  there  was  a  live  fish  in  it. 

A  precisely  similar  story  is  related  in  connection  with 
the  Royal  Society  of  London.  In  this  case  one  of  the 
Georges,  when  Prince  of  Wales,  proposed  the  puzzling 
question : 

An  excellent,  if  an  old,  puzzle  is— 

How  can  a  window  having  a  height  equal  to  its  width 


CURIOUS  FACTS  91 

be  made  twice  as  large  without  increasing  its  height  or 
width? 

Impossible !  Oh,  no.  In  the  first  instance  it  is  shaped 
like  a  diamond,  then  it  is  changed  to  a  square. 

Bachet,  a  French  writer,  furnishes  the  following: 

Half  a  ship's  crew,  consisting  of  thirty  persons — 
Christians  and  Turks  in  equal  numbers — were  to  be 
thrown  overboard  during  a  gale.  They  consented  to 
being  placed  in  a  row  and  every  ninth  person  should 
be  sacrificed  counting  from  the  first  in  the  row,  round 
and  round  again.  It  was  desired  to  so  place  them  that 
no  Christian  should  be  a  victim,  and  this  result  was 
obtained  arranging  them  thus: 

4  C,  5  T.,  2  C,  I  T.,  3  C,  I  T.,  I  C,  2  T.,  2  C,  3 
T.,  I  C,  2  T.,  2  C,  I  T.—New  York  World. 

^<To  a  T." 

There  is  a  common  expression,  "  it  suits  to  a  T,"  that 
is  a  very  old  one.  The  T  square,  or  rule,  is  an  instru- 
ment used  by  mechanics  when  great  exactness  is  re- 
quired. When  anything  is  exactly  right,  "  it  suits  to  a 
T."  That  is,  it  is  correct  in  every  way,  as  a  piece  of 
work  would  be  if  measured  by  the  T  rule. 

Statistics  of  Breathing. 

In  each  respiration  an  adult  inhales  one  pint  of  air. 

A  man  respires  sixteen  to  twenty  times  a  minute,  or 
twenty  thousand  times  a  day;  a  child  twenty-five  or 
thirty-five  times  a  minute. 

While  standing,  the  adult  respiration  is  twenty-two; 
while  lying  thirteen. 

The  superficial  surface  of  the  lungs,  i.  e.,  of  their  alveo- 
lar spaces,  is  two  hundred  square  yards. 

The  amount  of  air  inspired  in  twenty-four  hours  is 
ten  thousand  litres  (about  ten  thousand  quarts). 

The  amount  of  oxygen  absorbed  in  twenty-four  hours 
is  five  hundred  litres  (744  grammes),  and  the  amount 
of  carbonic  acid  expired  in  the  same  time,  four  hundred 
litres   (91 1.5  grammes). 

Two-thirds  of  the  oxygen  absorbed  in  twenty-four 
hours  is  absorbed  during  the  night  hours  from  6  p.m. 
to  6  A.  li. 


92  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Three-fifths  of  the  total  carbonic  acid  is  thrown  of! 
in  the  day  time. 

The  pulmonary  surface  gives  off  one  hundred  and  fifty 
grammes  of  water  daily  m  the  state  of  vapour. 

An  adult  must  have  at  least  three  hundred  and  sixty 
litres  of  air  an  hour. 

The  heart  sends  through  the  lungs  eight  hundred 
litres  of  blood  hourly,  and  twenty  thousand  litres,  or 
five  thousand  gallons,  daily.  The  duration  of  inspira- 
tion is  5-12,  of  expiration  7-12,  of  tne  whole  respiratory 
act;  but  during  sleep  inspiration  occupies  10-12  of  the 
respiratory  period. 

Curious  Facts  about  the  Finger  Nails. 

The  average  rate  of  growth  of  the  finger  nails  has 
been  estimated  at  one  millimeter,  or  two-fifths  of  a  line 
per  week;  a  rate  quadruple  that  of  the  toe  nails,  which 
require  four  weeks  to  grow  the  same  length.  This 
growth  continues  with  little  variation,  even  during  dis- 
oase,  but  the  portion  of  the  nail  then  formed  is  thinner 
and  deficient  in  strength.  In  sudden  and  acute  diseases, 
and  in  those  accompanied  with  extreme  debility,  this 
attenuation  is  sufficient  to  mark  the  nails  with  deep, 
transverse  grooves,  the  upper  surface  of  which  is  abrupt 
and  clearly  marked.  In  scrofulous  subjects  these  marks, 
together  with  peculiar  variegations,  are  very  commonly 
observable.  Extreme  anxiety  and  mental  depression 
have  the  same  effect  on  the  nails  as  physical  disease. 

It  is  interesting  to  v/atch  the  history  of  a  case  of  dis- 
ease as  recorded  upon  the  finger  nails.  When  we  look 
at  the  patient's  nails  we  see  on  each  of  them  a  distinct 
ridge,  showing  that  the  portion  of  the  nail  which  has 
grown  since  the  acute  attack  is  much  thinned  out. 

Take,  for  instance,  a  man  in  whom  an  acute  double 
pneumonia  occurred  a  few  weeks  ago.  You  will  see 
on  his  finger  nails  the  ridge  showing  the  acuteness  of 
the  attack.  This  is  quite  distinct,  and  is  seen  on  all  of 
the  nails.  These  marks  are  very  interesting  ^  and  tell 
us  a  perfectly  straight  story.  They  will  remain  for  at 
least  two  years.  If  a  person  tells  you  that  he  has  broken 
his  arm  within  eighteen  months,  you  will  see  the  ridges 
on  the  nails  of  the  hand  of  the  affected  side,  while  they 


CURIOUS  FACTS  93 

will  be  absent  on  those  of  the  other  side.  If  you  are 
told  that  a  patient  has  had  typhoid  fever,  look  at  his 
nails  and  if  the  statement  is  correct,  you  will  find  the 
ridges.  The  more  acute  the  illness  the  sharper  will  be 
the  ridge. 

When  the  illness  comes  on,  the  nutrition  of  the  body, 
including  that  of  the  nail,  ceases.  We  all  know  about 
the  hair  falling  out  after  a  disease  like  typhoid  fever. 
It  only  begins  to  fall  after  the  growth  has  recommenced 
and  the  hair  is  coming  up  out  of  the  follicle.  The  nail 
is  a  much  more  enduring  evidence  of  disease.  If  there 
has  been  an  acute  rheumatism  coming  on  within  a  few 
hours,  with  a  temperature  of  104  or  105  degs.,  the  nail 
will  be  cut  down  sharply.  The  nails  look  as  though  they 
had  been  cut  across.  In  typhoid  fever,  when  the  dis- 
ease comes  on  gradually,  there  is  no  such  sharp  cutting 
out  of  the  nail.  There  will  rather  be  an  area  of  thinning, 
which  will  not  be  seen  until  the  nail  grows  beyond  the 
white  mark  at  its  base. 

Divorces  in  Various  Countries. 

Divorces  are  scarcely  ever  known  to  occur  in  modern 
Greece. 

In  Hindostan  either  party  for  a  slight  cause  may 
leave  the  other  and  marry. 

In  the  olden  times  the  Jews  had  a  discretionary  power 
of  divorcing  their  wives. 

Divorces  are  scarcely  allowed  in  Thibet,  unless  with 
the  consent  of  both  parties.     Remarriage  is  forbidden. 

In  Cochin  China  the  parties  desiring  divorce  break  a 
pair  of  chopsticks  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  and  the 
thing  is  done. 

Two  kinds  of  divorces  are  granted  in  Circassia.  By 
the  first  the  parties  can  immediately  marry  again;  by 
the  second  not  for  a  year. 

Among  some  tribes  of  American  Indians  the  pieces 
of  sticks  given  the  witnesses  of  the  marriage  are  broken 
as  a  sign  of  divorce. 

If  the  wife  of  a  Turkoman  asks  his  permission  to  go 
out  and  he  says  "  go,"  without  adding,  **  come  back 
again,"  they  are  divorced. 

In  Siberia,  if  a   man  is  dissatisfied  with  the  most 


94  CURIOUS  FACTS 

trifling  acts  of  his  wife,  he  tears  a  cap  or  veil  from  hei 
face  and  that  constitutes  a  divorce. 

In  Siam  the  first  wife  may  be  divorced  but  not  sold 
as  the  others  may  be.  She  may  claim  the  first  child. 
The  others  belong  to  the  husband. 

Among  the  Moors,  if,  the  wife  does  not  become  the 
mother  of  a  boy,  she  may  be  divorced  with  the  consent 
of  the  tribe  and  can  'marry  again. 

In  the  Arctic  region  a  man  who  wants  a  divorce  leaves 
home  in  anger  and  does  not  return  for  several  days. 
The  wife  takes  the  hint  and  departs. 

Chinese   Customs. 

Boats  are  drawn  by  horses;  carriages  move  by  sails. 

Old  women,  instead  of  the  young,  are  the  idols  of 
society. 

Old  men  play  ball  and  fly  kites,  while  children  fold 
their  arms  and  look  on. 

The  highest  ambition  of  a  Chinaman  is  to  have  a  nice 
coffin  and  a  fine  funeral. 

When  a  Chinaman  expects  a  present  and  it  does  not 
come  he  sends  one  of  lesser  value. 

Men  wear  long  petticoats  and  carry  fans,  while  the 
women  wear  short  jackets  and  carry  canes. 

A  previous  acquaintance  between  the  male  and  female 
prevents  them  from  marriage.  For  this  reason  a  man 
seldom   weds  a  girl  of  his   town. 

Love  making  is  only  done  three  days  before  marriage. 
It  is  not  only  considered  the  safest  way  to  get  ahead 
of  a  rival,  but  the  surest  way  to  get  a  wife  without 
losing  much  time. 

To  encourage  honesty  and  sincerity,  confidential  clerks 
and  salesmen  in  all  branches  of  industry  receive^  an 
annual  net  percentage  of  the  firm's  business,  besides 
their  regular  salary. 

When  a  Chinaman  meets  another  h-e  shakes  and 
squeezes  his  own  hands  and  covers  his  head.  If  great 
friends  had  not  seen  each  other  for  a  long  time  they 
would  rub  shoulders  until  they  got  tired. 

When  a  Chinaman  desires  a  visitor  to  dine  with  him 
he  does  not  ask  him  to  do  so,  but  when  he  does  not 
wish  him  to  stay  he  puts  the  question ;  **  Won't  you  stay 


VURIOUS  FACTS  95 

and  dine  with  me,  please  ?  "  The  visitor  will  then  know 
he  is  not  wanted. 

A  rich  man's  servant  gets  no  salary,  yet  many  are  the 
applicants;  while  big  salaries  are  paid  to  the  servants 
of  the  common  people,  but  few  make  application.  The 
perquisites  of  the  former  often  more  than  triple  the 
salaries  of  the  latter. 

If  a  Chinaman  desires  the  death  of  an  enemy  he  goes 
and  hangs  himself  upon  that  enemy's  door.  It  is  con- 
sidered a  sure  way  to  kill  not  only  that  particular 
enemy,  but  members  of  his  entire  family  will  be  in 
jeopardy  of  losing  their  lives. 

In  China  one  can  always  borrow  money  on  the 
strength  of  having  a  son,  but  nobody  would  advance 
him  a  cent  if  he  had  a  dozen  daughters.  The  former 
is  responsible  for  the  debt  of  his  father  for  three  gen- 
erations. The  latter  is  only  responsible  for  the  debts 
of  her  own  husband. 


Success  and  Heroism. 

There  are  no  qualities  which  succeed  so  well  in  this 
world  as  selfishness  and  strict  honesty.  It  pays  to  be 
honest.  There  is  nothing  heroic  about  it.  And  there 
is  nothing  heroic  about  the  success  of  the  self-made 
man  who  takes  all  his  chances  and  leaves  his  younger 
brothers  and  sisters  to  shift  for  themselves.  The  young 
man  who  stays  at  home  in  order  to  help  those  near  him 
to  rise  from  the  slough  of  poverty  is  the  hero.  He  is 
unselfish.  We  cannot  gauge  success  by  what  appears  to 
be  success.  If  money  making  were  the  real  test  of 
success  we  should  have  no  heroes.  We  should  have  no 
priests,  no  religions,  no  philanthropists,  no  poets,  no 
orators.  That  man  is  truly  successful  and  truly  heroic 
who  strictly  performs  his  duty.  The  man  who  strains 
every  nerve  and  sinew  to  make  money  is  laying  up 
for  himself  an  old  age  of  regret.  How  many  old 
women's  homes  and  libraries,  founded  with  his  wealth 
when  it  becomes  a  burden  to  him,  can  compensate  for 
the  remembrance  of  the  grey  heads  and  worn  fingers 
nearest  and  dearest,  who,  unconsoled  by  him,  went  to 
their  rest 


96  CURIOUS  FACTS 

The  Cherokee  Written  Language. 

Sequoyah  was  the  son  of  a  Cherokee  mother;  his 
father  a  Dutch  pedlar  named  George  Gist.  He  was 
born  in  1770,  and  brought  up  as  an  Indian.  He  neither 
read  nor  spoke  the  EngUsh  language,  and  all  his  knowl- 
edge of  written  and  printed  speech  only  served  to  make 
him  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  in  some  way,  by  the 
signs  of  letters,  language  could  be  expressed.  Meditat- 
ing between  1809  and  1821  on  the  subject,  he  devised 
a  system  by  which  his  own  language  could  likewise  be 
reduced  to  print.  For  each  syllable  of  his  own  speech 
he  contrived  a  sign,  and  by  combining  these  signs  he 
created  a  method  of  writing.  When  he  had  accomplished 
this  analysis,  and  found  that  about  eighty  signs  could 
express  the  sounds  of  his  speech,  he  set  about  writing 
letters,  and  instituted  a  correspondence  between  his  own 
people  and  their  countrymen  beyond  the  Mississippi.  It 
is  said  that  the  young  cherokees  traveled  great  distances 
to  be  instructed  in  the  art  of  writing  by  this  modern 
Cadmus.  It  is  also  stated  that  with  a  few  hours'  in- 
struction the  young  Indians  learned  to  read  and  write 
their  language. 

It  seems  probable  that  this  is  the  only  case  in  the 
history  of  writing  in  which  one  individual  has  accom- 
plished the  task  of  creating  a  written  form  for  speech. 
That  an  untutored  Indian  should,  by  a  stroke  of  genius, 
with  a  continuity  of  labor  paralleled  in  the  case  of  few 
men,  do  this  is  a  momentous  fact  in  the  history  of 
the  race. 

The  name  of  Sequoyah  has  been  fitly  commemorated 
in  the  scientific  term  applied  to  the  greatest  of  American 
trees  the  giants  of  the  California  forests,  which  bear  the 
name  of  Sequoia. 

Feats   of    Memorization. 

Pillsbury,  the  celebrated  chess  player,  can  play  several 
games  of  chess  simultaneously  without  seeing  any  of 
the  boards  on  which  the  various  games  are  being  con- 
ducted. It  is  certainly  a  wonderful  feat  of  memory,  to 
see  how  attention  and  abstraction  are  retained  through- 
out— a  most  extraordinary  feat,  and  one  performed  by 


CURIOUS  FACTS  97 

him  over  and  over  again,  as  he  stands  alone  attacking 
and  defending  himself  against  the  several  opponents 
who  are  arrayed  against  him. 

Sir  Benjamin  Brodie,  in  his  most  interesting  **  Psy- 
chological Inquiries,"  cites  the  instance  of  the  celebrated 
Jesuit  Suarez,  who  is  said  to  have  known  the  whole  of 
the  works  of  St.  Augustine  by  heart.  These  consist  of 
eleven  large  folio  volumes.  The  great  thinker,  Pascal, 
is  said  never  to  have  forgotten  anything  he  had  ever 
known  or  read,  and  the  same  is  told  of  Grotius,  Leib- 
Hitz,  and  Euler.  And  we  have  all  read  how  the  Athenian 
Themistocles  knew  the  name  of  every  one  of  the  20,000 
citizens  of  Athens. 

The  great  critic,  Joseph  Scaliger,  is  pronounced  by 
Sir  William  Hamilton  to  be  the  most  learned  man  that 
the  world  has  ever  seen.  Yet  this  good  man  with  his 
bad  memory  complained  that  it  took  him  twenty-one 
days  to  learn  the  whole  of  Homer  by  heart;  he  had 
to  devote  three  months  to  learning  in  like  manner  the 
whole  of  the  remaining  Greek  poets,  and  that  in  two 
years  he  succeeded  in  getting  by  heart  the  whole  of  the 
range  of  classical  authors. 

An  Experiment  with  the  Memory. 

Starting  with  the  word  Washington,  write  down  one 
hundred  words  just  as  they  occur  to  you.  Let  your 
second  word  be  the  one  which  Washington  naturally 
suggests  to  you.  Possibly  it  will  be  capitol.  It  may 
be  president.  Take  the  word  which  first  comes  into 
your  mind.  In  the  same  manner  let  the  third  word 
be  suggested  by  the  second,  the  fourth  by  the  third,  and 
so  on.  Be  careful  that  the  third  word  is  not  suggested 
by  both  the  first  and  second.  Drop  the  first  entirely, 
and  let  your  mind  go  from  the  second  alone  to  the  third. 
Having  written  this  list  of  words,  you  will  have  fur- 
nished yourself  with  a  cheap  but  very  useful  mirror  of 
your  mind.  If  you  are  able  to  use  this  mirror,  you 
may  discover  some  very  serious  defects  in  your  mental 
processes.  You  may  discover  that  you  think  along  cer- 
tain lines  too  frequently.  You  may  discover  that  you 
are  using  superficial  principles  quite  too  much  to  the 


98  CURIOUS  FACTS 

neglect  of  more  important  laws  of  mind.  You  will  thus 
be  led  to  avoid  certain  linkings,  and  to  encourage 
others  of  a  more  philosophical  nature. — W.  W.  White. 

Safe   Weather  Indicators. 

When  you  wish  to  know  what  the  weather  is  going 
to  be,  go  out  and  select  the  smallest  cloud  you  see. 
Keep  your  eye  on  it,  and  if  it  decreases  and  disappears 
it  shows  a  state  of  the  air  that  is  sure  to  be  followed 
by  fine  weather;  but  if  it  increases  take  your  overcoat 
with  you  if  you  are  going  away  from  home,  for  falling 
weather  is  not  far  off.  The  reason  is  this :  When  the 
air  is  becoming  charged  with  electricity  you  will  see 
every  cloud  attracting  all  lesser  ones  toward  it  until  it 
gathers  into  a  shower,  and,  on  the  contrary,  when  the 
fluid  is  passing  off  or  diffusing  itself,  then  a  large  cloud 
will  be  seen  breaking  into  pieces  and  dissolving. 

The  Hottest  Spot  on  Earth. 

One  of  the  hottest  regions  of  the  earth  is  along  the 
Persian  Gulf,  where  little  or  no  rain  falls.  At  Bahrin 
the  arid  shore  has  no  fresh  water,  yet  a  comparatively 
numerous  population  contrives  to  live  there,  thanks  to 
copious  springs  v/hich  burst  forth  from  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  The  fresh  water  is  got  by  diving.  The  diver, 
sitting  in  his  boat,  winds  a  great  goat  skin  bag  round 
his  left  arm,  the  hand  grasping  its  mouth ;  then  he  takes 
in  his  right  hand  a  heavy  stone,  to  which  is  attached 
a  strong  line,  and  thus  equipped  he  plunges  in  and 
quickly  reaches  the  bottom.  Instantly  opening  the  bag" 
over  the  strong  jet  of  fresh  water,  he  springs  up  the 
ascending  current,  at  the  same  time  closing  the  bag,  and 
is  helped  aboard.  The  stone  is  then  hauled  up,  and  the 
diver,  after  taking  breath,  plunges  in  again.  The  source 
of  these  copious  submarine  springs  is  thought  to  be  in 
the  green  hills  of  Osman,  some  five  or  six  hundred 
miles  distant. 

Paris  ITumber  Twelve-and-a-Half. 

A  writer  says : — "  I  wandered  through  the  streets  of 
Paris  day  after  day.     One  fact  I  discovered  was  that 


CURIOUS  FACTS  99 

no  house  in  any  street  I  went  through — and  I  went 
through  many — was  numbered  thirteen.  After  the  fact 
was  first  brought  to  my  notice  I  made  it  a  study  to 
search  for  such  a  number.  I  always  found  number 
twelve,  but  the  next  number  was  invariably  douze  bis — ■ 
twelve-and-a-half.  And  this  is  owing  to  the  supersti- 
tion of  the  French  people  concerning  the  number  thir- 
teen^  which  is  the  strongest  of  all  their  peculiar  super- 
stitions.'* 

Rights  and  liCfts. 

Shakespeare  makes  nineteen  allusions  to  boots,  thirty- 
two  to  shoes  and  seven  to  slippers  and  pumps.  One, 
which  is  considered  important  as  denoting  the  fashion 
in  Shakespeare's  time,  is  that  from  "  King  John  "  : — 

Standing  on  slippers  which  his  nimble  haste 
Had   falsely   thrust   on   contrary   feet. 

Dr.  Johnson's  commentary  on  this  a  century  ago  was: 
— Shakespeare  seems  to  have  confounded  the  man's 
shoes  with  his  gloves.  He  that  is  frightened  may  put 
his  hand  into  the  wrong  glove,  but  either  shoe  will 
equally  admit  either  foot.  The  author  seems  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  disorder  which  he  describes." 

"Anld  Robin   Gray." 

One  of  the  happiest  instances  of  the  kind  of  plagiar- 
ism which,  like  charity,  blesses  both  giver  and  receiver, 
is  to  be  found  in  the  famous  ballad  of  *'  Auld  Robin 
Gray,"  which  is  taken  from  the  French.  The  poem  of 
Paradis  de  Moncrif,  which  served  as  a  model  to  Lady 
Anne  Barnard,  is  entitled  "  Les  Constantes  Amours 
d'Alix  et  d' Alexis,"  and,  though  now  more  than  a  cen- 
tury old,  is  still  considered  to  be  the  finest  example  of 
what  the  French  call  a  romance.  It  has  the  naivete  and 
the  prolixity,  so  charming  in  its  apparent  triviality, 
proper  to  that  kind  of  composition;  and  in  comparing 
it  with  Lady  Anne's  poem  it  is  interesting  to  observe 
how  in  the  passage  of  the  tale  northwards  the  romantic 
beauty  of  the  original  gives  place  to  a  tragic  tensity  in 
harmony  with  the  severer  genius  of  the  Scottish  muse. 
The  author,  Paradis  de  Moncrif,  became  a  member  of 


100  CURIOUS  FACTS 

the  French  academy  in  1733,  and  died  at  the  age  of  83 
in  1770,  just  a  year  before  '*  Auld  Robin  Gray"  saw  the 
light;  so  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  dates. 

The  "  Arabian  Nights  ''  Translator. 

Everybody  has  read  the  ''  Arabian  Nights,"  but  few 
of  the  thousands  who  have  enjoyed  the  book  are  aware 
to  whom  the  western  world  is  indebted  for  the  pos- 
vSession  of  this  treasure  house  of  Oriental  folk  lore.  It 
was  translated  from  the  Arabic  by  Antoine  Galland,  a 
French  savant  and  traveler,  who  died  on  Feb.  17,  1715. 
He  obtained  it  in  its  original  form  during  a  residence  in 
the  east,  as  attache  to  the  French  embassy  at  Con- 
stantinople. He  traveled  extensively  in  the  east,  giving 
much  attention  to  the  study  of  eastern  authors.  His 
learning  was  prodigious,  and  he  produced  many  labori- 
ous works,  all  of  which  are  now  forgotten.  But  he  has 
secured  a  kind  of  immortality  by  his  life  task  of  trans- 
lating the  **  Arabian  Nights,"  which  will  doubtless  never 
cease  to  be  read. 

Ice  as  a  Heater. 

One  of  St.  Patrick's  most  famous  miracles  is  thus 
commemorated  in  the  old  Irish  ballad  of  "  Polly  Roe  ": — 

St.  Patrick,  as  in  legends  told. 
The  morning  being  very  cold. 
In  order  to  assuage  the  weather. 
Collected  bits  of  ice  together; 
Then   gently   breathed   upon   the   pyre. 
When  every  fragment  blazed  on  fire. 
Oh !  if  the  saint  had  been  so  kind. 
As  to  have  left  the  gift  behind 
To  such  a  love-lorn  wretch  as  me. 
Who  daily  struggled  to  be  free; 
Fd  be  content — content  with  part: 
I'd  only  ask  to  thaw  the  heart. 
The  frozen  heart  of  Polly  Roe. 

Early  Linen  Paper. 
The  Moors  are  said  to  have  made  paper  from  linen 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  all  paper  known  before  that 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  lOI 

being  apparently  made  from  cotton.  In  the  British 
Museum  are  some  specimens  of  linen  paper  from  the 
fourteenth  century.  Recently  Professor  Church  has  dis- 
covered an  Espicopal  Register  of  1273  from  Auvergne, 
in  which  paper  some  strands  remaining  show  to  have 
been  linen.  This  carries  linen  paper  back  further  than 
was  supposed. 

Winnie  and  Walter. 

"  Warm  weather,  Walter  !  Welcome  warm  weather ! 
We  were  wishing  winter  would  wane,  weren't  we?" 

"  We  were  well  wearied  with  waiting,"  whispered 
Walter,  wearily.  Wan,  white,  woebegone  was  Walter, 
wayward,  wilful,  worn  with  weakness,  wasted,  waxing 
weaker  whenever  winter's  wild,  withering  winds  were 
wailing.  Wholly  without  waywardness  was  Winifred, 
Walter's  wise,  womanly  watcher,  who,  with  winsome, 
wooing  way,  was  well-beloved. 

'^  We  won't  wait,  Walter ;  while  weather's  warm, 
we'll  wander  where  woodlands  wave,  won't  we  ?  " 

Walter's  wonted  wretchedness  wholly  waned.  *'  Why, 
Winnie,  we'll  walk  where  we  went  when  we  were  with 
Willie;  we'll  weave  wildflower  wreaths,  watch  wood- 
men working,  woodlice,  worms  wriggling,  windmills 
whirling,  watermills  wheeling ;  we  will  win  wild 
whortleberries,  witness  wheat  winnowed." 

Wisbeach  woods  were  wild  with  wildflowers;  warm 
westerly  winds  whispered  where  willows  were  waving; 
woodpigeons,  wrens,  woodpeckers,  were  warbling  wild 
woodnotes.  Where  Wisbeach  watermill's  waters,  which 
were  wholly  waveless,  widened,  were  water-lilies,  waxen 
white.  Winifred  wove  wreaths  with  wedges  with  wil- 
low wands.  Wholly  without  warning,  wild  wet  winds 
woke  within  Wisbeach  woods,  whistling  where  Wini- 
fred wandered  with  Walter;  weeping  willows  were 
wailing  weirdly;  waging  war  with  wind-tossed  waters. 
Winifred's  wary  watchfulness  waked.  "  Walter,  we 
won't   wait." 

''Which  way,  Winnie?" 

Winifred  wavered.  "  Why,  where  were  we  wander- 
ing? Wisbeach  woods  widen  whichever  way  we  walk; 
where' s  Wisbeach  white  wicket;  where's  Winston's 
water-mill  ?  " 


102  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Wistfully  Walter  witnessed  Winifred's  wonder. 
*'  Winnie,  Winnie,  we  were  wrong,  wholly  wrong,  wan- 
dering within  wild  ways.  Wayfaring,  weather-beaten 
waifs,  well-nigh  worn-out." 

Winifred  waited  where,  within  wattled  woodwork 
walls,  wagons,  wheelbarrows,  wains  were  waiting, 
weighty  with  withered  wood.  Walter,  warmly  wrapped 
with  Winifred's  well  worn  wadded  waterproof,  was 
wailing  woefully,  wholly  wearied.  Winnie,  who,  worn 
with  watching,  well-nigh  weeping,  was  wistfully,  wake- 
fully,  waiting  Willie's  well-known  whistle,  wholly  wished 
Walter's  well-being  warranted.  With  well-timed  wis- 
dom, Walter  was  wound  with  wide,  white  worsted 
wrappers,  which  wonderfully  well  withstood  winter's 
withering,  whistling  winds.  Wholly  without  warm 
wrappers  was  Winifred,  who,  with  womanly  wisdom  was 
watching  Walter's  welfare,  warding  Walter's  weakness. 

*' When  will  Willie  wend  where  we  wait?"  wearily 
wondered  Walter. 

"Whist,  Walter,"  whispered  Winnie;  "who  was 
whooping." 

"  Whereabouts?  " 

Welcome  whistling  was  waking  Wisbeach  woods  when 
winter's  windy  warfare  waxed  weaker.  '*  Winnie ! 
Walter !  "  Winifred's  wakefulness  was  well-grounded. 
"We're  well,  Willie;  we're  where  Winston's  wagons 
wait."  Without  waiting,  Willie  was  within  Winston's 
woodwork  walls.  '*  Welcome,  welcome,  Willie ;  "  Win- 
nie was  weeping  with  weariness  with  watching  Walter, 
weak  with  wayfaring. 

"  Why,  Winnie !  wise,  watchful,  warm-hearted  Win- 
nie," Willie  whispered,  wheedingly,  "we  won't  weep; 
Walter's  well;  what  were  Walter  without  Winnie?" 

Wholly  wonderful  was  Winifred's  well-timed, 
womanly  wisdom,  which  well  warranted  weakly  Walter's 
welfare.  Whenever  wandering  within  Wisbeach  woods 
with  Winnie,  Walter  would  whisper,  "  What  were 
Walter  without  Winnie?  wise,  watchful,  warm-hearted 
Winnie !  " 

A  Long  Sentence. 

The  following  is  the  opening  sentence  of  a  speech 
delivered  by    Mr.    Gladstone    at    Birmingham : — "  Sir 


CURIOUS  FACTS  103 

Charles  Forster  and  Gentlemen — It  is  a  great  thing  and 
a  great  praise  to  any  constituency  that  it  is  able  to  main- 
tain that  standard  of  judgment  and  approbation  and 
attachment  which  Walsall  has  maintained  for  so  long 
a  period  while  represented  by  Sir  Charles  Forster,  to 
whom  I  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  what  he  has  most 
truly  called  an  unswerving  support,  but  I  may  say  a 
support  that  did  not  derive  its  entire  value  even  from 
its  singularly  decided  character  in  reference  to  the 
principles  of  liberalism,  but  likewise  from  the  entire 
character  and  action  of  the  man  who  has  been  successful 
in  making  liberal  principles  honored  by  the  whole  house 
in  association  with  active  parliamentary  service  rendered 
to  the  House  of  Commons  as  such,  without  respect  to 
party,  while  at  the  same  time  he  has  been  one  no  doubt, 
as  he  has  said  himself,  of  the  most  intelligent  upholders 
of  the  principles  of  party  as  being  a  necessary,  though  a 
secondary,  instrument  for  promoting  the  benefit  of  the 
work  and  the  empire." 

The  Dominical  Letter — The  Golden  Number — ^Why 
so  Named. 

The  Dominical  letter  is  the  letter  which  in  our  alma- 
nacs marks  Sunday  (dies  Domini).  In  the  calendar  the 
1st  of  January  is  always  denoted  by  A,  and  the  Domin- 
ical letter  is  that  which  denotes  the  first  Sunday,  and 
except  in  leap  year,  all  other  Sundays  of  the  year.  In 
leap  year  there  are  two  Dominical  letters,  the  first  for 
the  Sundays  between  January  i  and  February  29,  the 
second  for  the  other  Sundays  of  the  year,  the  interpola- 
tion being  postponed  until  the  end  of  February  instead 
of  being  made  at  the  beginning  of  the  year.  We  do  not 
know  who  invented  the  Dominical  letter;  perhaps 
Dionysius  Exiguus,  who  lived  a.  d.  550,  and  devised 
the  Dionysian  or  common  era,  dating  it  from  the  time 
of  Christ.  The  Dominical  letters  are  based  on  the  Ro- 
man nundinal  letters;  the  Roman  market  day  happened 
every  ninth  day.  The  Christian  adopted  the  Jewish 
week,  and  necessarily  the  nundinal  letters  fell  into  dis- 
use among  them.  There  are  no  year  letters;  the  golden 
numbers  represent  the  number  of  the  year  in  the  lunar 
cycle  of  nineteen  years;  at  the  end  of  that  cycle  the 


I04 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


mcx)n  has  her  changes  on  the  same  day  of  the  solar 
year  and  month  on  which  she  had  them  nineteen  years 
previously.  The  numbers  of  this  cycle  are  of  great  use 
in  determining  Easter,  and  got  their  name  by  being 
written  in  the  calendar  in  letters  of  gold. 

Limbs   of   the   Mind. 

One  is  curiosity;  that  is  a  gift,  a  capacity  of  pleasure 
in  knowing,  which  if  you  destroy  you  make  yourselves 
cold  and  dull.  Another  is  sympathy;  the  power  of 
sharing  in  the  feehngs  of  living  creatures,  which  if  you 
destroy  you  make  yourselves  hard  and  cruel.  Another 
of  your  limbs  of  mind  is  admiration ;  the  power  of  en- 
joymg  beauty  or  ingenuity  which  if  you  destroy  you 
make  yourselves  base  and  irreverent.  Another  is  wit, 
or  the  power  of  playing  with  the  lights  on  the  many 
sides  of  truth,  which  if  you  destroy  you  make  yourselves 
gloomy,  and  less  useful  and  cheering  to  others  than  you 
might  be.  So  that  in  choosing  your  way  of  work  it 
should  be  your  aim,  as  far  as  possible,  to  bring  out  ail 
these  faculties,  as  far  as  they  exist  in  you,  not  one 
merely,  nor  another,  but  all  of  them.  And  the  way  to 
bring  them  out  is  simply  to  concern  yourselves  atten- 
tively with  the  subject  of  each  faculty.  To  cultivate 
sympathy  you  must  be  among  living  creatures,  and 
thinking  about  them;  and  to  cultivate  admiration  you 
must  be  among  beautiful  things,  and  looking  at  fhem. — 

J.   RUSKIN. 

Speed  at  Reading. 

Though  the  speed  at  which  we  write  is  limited  to 
about  thirty  words  a  minute,  the  speed  at  which  we 
read  is  very  different,  especially  when  the  words  are 
presented  in  print  so  that  the  letters  are  clear  and  un- 
ambiguous. I  gave  an  interesting  novel  the  other  day 
to  a  friend,  and  noted  the  time  when  the  reading  began, 
and  also  the  time  when  the  book  was  closed.  I  then 
made  a  calculation  of  the  number  of  words  read,  and  I 
found  that  more  words  had  been  read  in  an  hour  and  a 
half  than  a  child  hears  in  the  course  of  a  day. 

Other  experiments  have  convinced  me  that  the  speed 
of  silent  reading,  at  least  for  those  who  know  the  Ian- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I05 

guage,  averages  from  300  to  even  400  words  a  minute. 
— Science. 

How  a  Cable  Message  is  Received. 

Only  the  feeblest  currents  should  be  used  on  sub- 
marine lines,  since  heavy  pulses  which  could  be  em- 
ployed with  impunity  on  land  lines,  if  they  did  not  soon 
destroy  the  cable  covering,  would  at  least  tend  to  develop 
faults  which  otherwise  might  long  remain  latent.  De- 
fects in  cable  covering  that  otherwise  may  not  lead  to 
harm  admit  moisture,  and  hence,  under  the  action  of  a 
strong  current,  oxides  are  quickly  formed,  destroying 
insulation.  The  necessary  use  in  ocean  telegraphy  of 
the  lightest  currents  has  led  to  the  development  of  a  class 
of  recording  instruments  remarkable  for  delicacy  of 
action — notably  the  siphon  recorder,  which  indicates  the 
electric  impulses  by  a  wavy  ink  line  on  a  tape,  and  the 
reflecting  galvanometer,  which  causes  a  spot  of  light 
to  move  from  right  to  left  in  a  darkened  room.  With 
these  recorders  and  thirty  cells  of  battery,  messages  sent 
across  the  Atlantic  are  telegraphically  reproduced  in 
ink  at  the  rate  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  words  a 
minute,  each  way,  the  cable  being  duplexed.  But  for 
electrostatic  induction  a  single  cell  of  battery  would 
suffice  for  transmission  from  the  earth  to  the  moon,  if 
those  bodies  could  be  connected  by  a  wire  of  the  size 
used  in  ocean  cables. — Charles  L.  Buckingham. 

Variations   of   the   Game. 

Every  man  when  he  takes  up  his  cards  at  a  game  of 
whist  holds  one  out  of  635,013,559,600  possible  hands. 
As  for  the  total  number  of  variations  possible  among 
all  players,  it  is  so  enormous  as  almost  to  exceed  belief. 
It  has  been  calculated  that  if  1,000,000  men  were  to  be 
engaged  dealing  cards  at  the  rate  of  one  deal  every 
minute,  day  and  night,  for  100,000,000  years,  they  would 
not  have  exhausted  all  the  possible  variations  of  the 
cards,  but  only  ioo,oooth  part  of  them. 

Primitive  Telegraphs. 

As  is  well  known  the  Indians  use  rising  smoke  to 
give  signals  to  distant  friends.  A  small  fire  is  started, 
and,  as  soon  as  it  burns  fairly  well,  grass  and  leaves 


106  CURIOUS  FACTS 

are  heaped  on  the  top  of  it.  Thus  a  large  column  of 
steam  and  smoke  rises.  By  covering  the  fire  with  a 
blanket  the  rising  of  the  smoke  is  interrupted  at  regular 
intervals,  and  the  successive  clouds  are  used  for  con- 
veying messages.  Explorations  in  the  Congo  basin 
have  shown  that  the  system  of  drum  signals  prevails 
throughout  Central  Africa.  The  Bakuba  use  large 
wooden  drums,  on  which  different  tones  are  produced 
with  two  drumsticks.  Sometimes  the  natives  "converse  " 
in  this  way  for  hours,  and  from  the  energy  displayed 
by  the  drummers  and  the  rapidity  of  the  successive 
blows,  it  seemed  that  the  conversation  was  very  ani- 
mated. The  same  use  of  drums  is  found  in  New  Guinea. 
From  the  rhythm  and  rapidity  of  the  blows,  the  natives 
know  at  once  whether  an  attack,  a  death,  or  a  festival 
is  announced.  The  same  tribe  use  columns  of  smoke 
or  (at  night)  fires  to  convey  messages  to  distant  friends. 
The  latter  are  also  used  in  Australia.  Columns  of  smoke 
of  different  forms  are  used  for  signals  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Cape  York  and  the  neighboring  islands.  In 
Victoria  hollow  trees  are  filled  with  fresh  leaves  which 
are  lighted.  The  signals  thus  made  are  understood  by 
their  friends.  In  Eastern  Australia  the  movements  of  a 
traveler  were  made  known  by  columns  of  smoke,  and  so 
was  the  discovery  of  a  whale  in  Portland  Bay. — Science. 

Conductors   of  Sound. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  greater  the  density  of  a  sub- 
stance and  the  more  elasticity  it  possesses  the  more  per- 
fect its  conductibility  of  sound;  thus  it  has  been  found 
that  while  sound  travels  at  the  rate  of  1125  feet  per  sec- 
ond in  the  ordinary  atmosphere,  it  will  travel  4708  feet 
per  second  in  water.  This  was  proved  by  experiments 
in  the  Lake  of  Geneva.  The  traveling  power  of  sound 
through  solid  substances  may  be  stated  generally  to  be 
more  rapid  than  through  either  air  or  water.  The 
metals,  on  account  of  their  elasticity,  naturally  stand 
at  the  head  of  the  list. 

The  French  philosopher,  Biot,  by  means  of  the  empty 
water  pipes  of  Paris,  proved  that  sound  will  travel 
through  iron  at  the  rate  of  16,822  feet  per  second,  or 
about  fifteen  times  faster  than  through  air.    It  has  been 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  107 

proved  that  if  a  bell  be  struck  in  a  vacuum  in  an  air 
pump,  no  sound  whatever  can  be  heard,  and  that  if 
hydrogen  be  introduced  the  sound  is  hardly  perceptible. 
In  fact,  hydrogen,  which  is  the  most  rarefied  of  all  gases, 
is  the  worst  conductor  of  sound,  while  iridium,  the 
densest,  is  the  best.  This  latter  is  very  scarce,  and  con- 
sequently difficult  to  experiment  with,  so  gold  and  plati- 
num, which  are  among  the  densest  of  bodies,  are  com- 
monly called  the  best  conductors  of  sound. 

Slang   and   Swearing. 

The  old  Scotch  lady  who  owned  that  "  our  Jemmy 
sweers  awfu',"  added,  on  reflection,  "  but  to  be  sure  it's 
a  great  offset  to  conversation."  Both  swearing  and 
slang  are  popular  with  the  unreflecting,  because  they  are 
felt  to  be  great  offsets  to  conversation.  Men,  especially 
uneducated  men,  feel  that  desire  to  vivify  and  adorn 
the  expression  of  their  ideas  which,  among  more  highly 
developed  human  beings,  finds  its  outlet  in  eloquence  and 
blank  verse. — The  London  Spectator. 

Man's  Kelative  Height  and  Weight. 

A  man  five  feet  one  inch  high  should  weigh  120 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  two  inches  high  should  weigh  126 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  three  inches  high  should  weigh  133 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  four  inches  high  should  weigh  136 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  five  inches  high  should  weigh  142 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  six  inches  high  should  weigh  145 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  seven  inches  high  should  weigh  148 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  eight  inches  high  should  weigh  155 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  nine  inches  high  should  weigh  162 
pounds. 

A  man  five  feet  ten  inches  high  should  weigh  i6g 
pounds. 


I08  CURIOUS  FACTS 

A  man  five  feet  eleven  inches  high  should  weigh  174 
pounds. 
A  man  six  feet  high  should  weigh  178  pounds. 

A  Letter  Carrier's  Walk. 
I  have  often  been  asked  to  explain  how  a  letter  car- 
rier walks  along,  apparently  with  ease,  at  a  rapid  gait 
over  slippery  ground,  and  runs  up  and  down  icy  front 
steps,  while  other  folks  are  barely  able  to  keep  their 
footing  while  they  creep  along  in  rubbers  or  with  a  set 
of  those  steel  prong  nuisances  fastened  to  their  shoes. 
The  carriers  soon  learn  to  walk  over  slippery  places 
without  falling  because  we  have  so  much  of  it  to  do, 
and  experience  has  taught  us  how  we  should  handle  our 
bodies  and  legs  when  on  dangerous  ground.  When 
passing  over  sleety  places  we  don't  walk  erect,  but 
bend  forward,  taking  short  steps,  and  never  letting  one 
foot  get  far  away  from  the  other.  Then,  when  we 
step,  the  foot  is  put  down  solidly,  all  of  it  at  once,  on 
the  ground,  with  no  heel  and  toe  movement,  which 
leads  to  slips  and  falls.  It's  not  graceful  this  way  of 
walking,  but  it's  safe,  and  I  can  pass  any  ordinary  pedes- 
trian on  a  slippery  day,  and  be  in  no  danger  of  falling, 
while  he  is  constantly  slipping. — Letter  Carrier  in  Globe 
Democrat. 

To  Make  the  Heart  Strong. 

Now  there  is  but  one  legitimate  Avay  of  making  the 
heart  strong.  That  is  by  taking  regular,  systematic,  and 
sufficient  muscular  exercise,  into  which  climbing  heights 
or  staircases  enters  as  a  prominent  feature.  Let  a  per- 
son who  finds  his  pulse  increased  fifty  to  sixty  beats 
in  a  minute  after  mounting  a  staircase  climb  a  hundred 
staircases  day  after  day  for  a  month  ox  more,  and  he 
will, find  that  the  exertion  does  not  add  ten  beats  to 
the  normal  number  of  his  heart  throbs.  The  exercise 
has  acted  upon  this  vital  organ  just  as  it  does  on  the 
biceps  of  a  prize  fighter  or  a  blacksn-^ith,  and  strength 
and  the  capacity  for  endurance  have  been  the  result. 

But  this  is  not  all  the  good  that  v/ill  be  gained  by 
climbing  a  hundred  staircases  a  day — say  fifty  in  the 
morning  and  fifty  in  the  afternoon.    Doubtless  the  per- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  109 

son  with  a  weak  heart  has  suffered  more  or  less  from 
what  is  called  nervous  dyspepsia.  His  food  instead  of 
being  properly  digested,  has  been  mainly  fermented  in 
his  stomach,  and  has  caused  him  various  uncomfortable 
feelings,  which  he  has  been  in  the  habit  of  attributing 
to  everything  but  their  proper  cause.  Not  only  have  the 
hundred  minutes  or  so  spent  in  climbing  staircases  put 
strength  into  his  legs,  expanded  his  chest,  and  saved  his 
heart  from  fatty  degeneration,  but  they  have  given  tone 
to  his  abdominal  muscles  and  to  his  digestive  organs. 
His  food  no  longer  lies  like  a  lump  of  lead  in  his 
stomach,  torpor  has  disappeared  from  (what  we  phy- 
sicians call,  and  which,  for  the  sake  of  delicacy,  I  must 
here  designate  them)  his  chylopoetic  viscera,  and  his 
system  gets  the  full  benefit  of  the  food  which  is  required 
for  its  nourishment. — Dr.  William  A.  Hammond. 

Advice  that  is  Easy  to  Give. 
Don't  worry. 

"  Seek  peace  and  pursue  it." 
Be  cheerful.     "  A  light  heart  lives  long." 
Never  despair.     "  Lost  hope  is  a  fatal  disease." 
"  Work  like  a  man,  but  don't  te  worked  to  death." 
Spend  less  nervous  energy  each  day  than  you  make. 
Don't   hurry.     "  Too   swift   arrives   as   tardy   as   too 
slow." 

Sleep  and  rest  abundantly.  Sleep  is  nature's  benedic- 
tion. 

Avoid  passion  and  excitement.  A  moment's  passion 
may  be  fatal. 

Associate  with  healthy  people.  Health  is  contagious 
as  well  as  disease. 

Don't  overeat.  Don't  starve.  "  Let  your  moderation 
be  known  to  all  men." 

Candlemas  Bay, 

Candlemas  Day,  the  2d  of  February,  is  kept  in  the 
church  in  memory  of  the  purification  of  the  Virgin,  who 
presented  the  infant  Jesus  in  the  Temple.  From  the 
number  of  candles  lit  this  festival  was  called  Candle- 
mas. Its  origin  is  ascribed  by  Bede  to  Pope  Celasius  in 
the  fifth  century. 


no  CURIOUS  FACTS 

A  Sociological  Power. 

The  genesis  of  voluntary  attention  is  to  be  found 
in  its  utility.  When  the  conditions  of  life  become  at  all 
hard,  and  especially  if  they  become  so  by  more  or  less 
sudden  changes,  the  power  of  adaptation  to  them  is 
dependent  upon  voluntary  attention  to  details ;  upon  con- 
sideration of  something  besides  the  immediately  attrac- 
tive and  useful.  The  savage  is  lazy;  is  inspired  only  by 
chase,  by  war,  by  play;  his  interest  is  in  the  unknown, 
the  unforeseen,  the  chance.  He  is  not  capable  of  con- 
tinuous labor.  In  half  civilized  communities  work  is 
repugnant.  Voluntary  attention  is  a  factor  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  is  maintained  with  effort.  The  most  constant 
characteristic  of  criminals  is  lack  of  power  to  pursue 
a  steady  calling;  and  the  Italian  anthropologists  regard 
this  as  a  reversion  to  primitive  habits.  Voluntary  atten- 
tion thus  came  in,  and  is  maintained  as  a  sociological 
power. — Prof.  Th.  Ribot. 

They  All  Died  at   56. 

Hugh  Capet,  King  of  France;  born  940,  died  996. 
Henry  VIII.,  King  of  England;  born  1491,  died  1547. 
Henry   IV.,   Emperor   of  Germany;   born    1050,   died 
1 106. 

Frederick  I.,  first  King  of  Prussia;  born   1657,  died 

1713. 

Nicols  Paganini,  Italian  violinist;  born  1784,  died 
1840. 

Alexander  Pope,  English  poet;  born  1688,  died  1744. 

George  Sale,  English  orientalist;  born  1680,  died  1736. 

Degli  Alighieri  Dante,  Italian  poet;  born  1265,  died 

1321. 
John  Hancock,  American  statesman;  born  1737,  died 

1793- 
Maria  Louisa,  Empress  of  France;  born   1791,  died 

1847. 

Philip  Massinger,  English  dramatist;  born  1584,  died 
1640. 

Saladin,  Sultan  of  Egypt  and  Syria;  born  1137,  died 

1 193. 
Robert  Stephenson,  English  engineer;  born  1803,  died 

1859. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  iii 

Helvetius.  French  philosopher  and  author;  born  1715, 
died  1771. 

Henry  II.,  first  of  the  Plantagenet  line;  born  1133, 
died  1 189. 

Rev.  Charles  Kingsley,  English  author;  born  1819, 
died  1875. 

Juan  Prim,  Spanish  general  and  statesman;  born  1814, 
died  1870. 

Caius  Julius  Caesar,  Roman  general ;  bom  100  b.  c, 
died  44  B.  c. 

The  elder  Pliny,  Roman  naturalist  and  author;  born 
23,  died  79. 

Claudius  II.,  Marcus  Aurelius,  Emperor  of  Rome; 
born  214,  died  270. 

Henry  Knox,  revolutionary  general;  born  1750,  died 
1806. 

Thomas  Mifflin,  patriot  and  general;  born  1744,  died 
1800. 

Von  Maarten  Harpertzoon  Troup,  Dutch  admiral; 
born  1597,  died   1653. 

Abraham  Lincoln;  born  1809,  died  1865. 

Barry  Edward  O'Meara,  Irish  surgeon  in  St.  Helena; 
born  1780,  died  1836. 

Frederick  Marryat,  English  naval  officer  and  novelist; 
born  1792,  died  1848. 

Scipio  ^milianus  Africanus  Minor,  Roman  general; 
born  185  B.  c,  died  129  b.  c. 

Robert  Dudley,  Earl  of  Leicester,  favorite  of  Queen 
Elizabeth;  born  1532,  died  1588. 

George  Whitefield,  English  founder  of  Calvinistic 
Methodism;  born  1714,  died  1770. 

Johann  Caspar  Spurzheim,  German  physician  and 
phrenologist;  born  1776,  died  1832. 

Frederick  II.,  Emperor  of  Germany  and  King  of 
Naples  and  Sicily;  born  1194,  died  1250. 

Some  Famous  Suicides. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  more  noted  suicides 
of  which  mention  is  made  in  history.  These  do  not 
savor  much  of  insanity,  but  rather  of  stoic  philosophy. 

Cato  stabbed  himself  rather  than  live  under  the 
despotic  reign  of  Cae$ar;  Themistocle§  poisoned  himself 


112  CURIOUS  FACTS 

rather  than  lead  the  Persians  against  his  countrymen; 
Zeno,  when  98,  hung  himself  because  he  had  put  his 
finger  out  of  joint;  and  Hannibal  and  Mithridates  poi- 
soned themselves  to  escape  being  taken  prisoners.  When 
we  search  Scripture  we  find  that  Saul,  rather  than  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines,  commanded  his  armor- 
bearer  to  hold  his  sword  that  he  might  plunge  upon  it; 
Samson,  for  the  sake  of  being  revenged  upon  his 
enemies,  pulled  down  the  house  in  which  they  were 
revelling,  and  ''  died  with  them ;  "  and  Judas  Iscariot, 
after  selling  the  vSavior  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  was 
overcome  by  remorse,  "  and  went  and  hanged  himself." 

Modem  Longevity. 

In  the  year  from  March  25,  1888,  to  March  24,  1889, 
there  were  recorded  in  The  London  Times  the  deaths 
of  193  persons,  inhabitants  of  Great  Britain,  aged  90 
years  and  upward.  Of  these  68  were  men  and  125 
women.  Two  women  had  attained  loi.  The  rest  were 
recorded  as  follows: — Aged  99,  man  i,  women  4;  aged 
98,  women  3 ;  aged  97,  men  4,  women  4 ,  aged  96,  men 
4,  women  7;  aged  95,  men  3,  women  7;  aged  94,  men 
8,  women  7;  aged  93,  men  7,  women  17;  aged  92,  men 
12,  women  24;  aged  91,  men  15,  women  19;  aged  90, 
men   14,  women  31. — London  Times, 

Age  of  Parents  and  Vitality  of  Children. 

Mr.  J.  Korosi,  director  of  the  Hungarian  bureau  of 
statistics,  taking  24,000  cases  as  a  basis,  reaches  the 
following  conclusions : — 

Children  whose  father  is  less  than  20  years  of  age 
have  a  weak  constitution.  The  issue  of  fathers  of  be- 
tween 25  and  40  years  are  the  strongest,  while  the  de- 
scendants of  fathers  of  over  40  years  are  weak.  The 
healthiest  children  are  those  whose  mother  has  not  yet 
reached  35  years.  Those  born  of  mothers  of  between  35 
and  40  years  of  age  are  8  per  cent,  weaker,  and  those 
of  mothers  of  over  40  years  are  10  per  cent,  weaker. 
The  children  of  aged  fathers  and  younger  mothers  have, 
as   a  general  thing,  a  strong  constitution;   but  if  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  113 

parents  are  of  the  same  age,  the  children  are  less  robust 
— Revue  ScientiUque, 

Why   Flowers   Sleep. 

That  flowers  sleep  is  evident  to  the  most  casual  ob- 
server. The  beautiful  daisy  opens  at  sunrise  and  closes 
at  sunset,  whence  its  name  *'  day's  eye."  The  morning 
glory  opens  its  flower  with  the  day.  The  "  Four 
O'clock  "  awakes  at  four  in  the  morning,  but  closes  its 
eyes  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  the  dandelion  is  in 
full  bloom  only  during  the  hours  of  strong  light.  The 
habit  of  some  flowers  is  certainly  very  curious,  and  fur- 
nishes one  of  the  many  instances  which  prove  the  singu- 
lar adaptability  of  everything  in  nature.  The  reason  is 
found  in  the  method  by  which  this  class  of  flowers  is 
fertilized.  It  is  obvious,  says  Sir  John  Lubbock,  that 
flowers  which  are  fertilized  by  night-flying  insects  would 
derive  no  advantage  from  being  open  by  day;  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  that  those  which  are  fertilized  by  bees 
would  gain  nothing  by  being  open  at  night.  Nay,  it 
would  be  a  disadvantage,  because  it  would  render  them 
liable  to  be  robbed  of  their  honey  and  pollen  by  insects 
which  are  incapable  of  fertilizing  them.  It  is  possible, 
then,  that  the  closing  of  flowers  may  have  reference  to 
the  habit  of  insects,  and  it  may  be  observed,  also,  in 
support  of  this,  that  wind-fertilized  flowers  never  sleep. 
— Jewish  Messenger. 

The   British   Empire. 

King  Edward  is  now  sovereign  over  a  continent,  100 
peninsulas,  500  promontories,  1000  lakes,  2000  rivers, 
and  10,000  islands.  He  waves  his  hand  and  900,000 
warriors  march  to  battle  to  conquer  or  die.  He  bends 
his  head  and  at  the  signal  1000  ships  of  war  and  100,000 
sailors  perform  his  bidding  on  the  ocean.  He  walks 
upon  the  earth  and  30,000,000  human  beings  feel  the  least 
pressure  of  his  foot.  The  Assyrian  empire  was  not  so 
populous.  The  Persian  empire  was  not  so  powerful. 
The  Carthaginian  empire  was  not  so  much  dreaded. 
The  Spanish  empire  was  not  so  widely  diffused.  The 
Roman  power  was  weak  in  comparison,  and  Greece  was 
as  a  §mall  village. 


114  CURIOUS  FACTS 

A  Boy  Should  Learn. 

To  let  cigarettes  alone. 

To  be  kind  to  all  animals. 

To  be  manly  and  courageous. 

To  ride,  row,  shoot,  and  swim. 

To  build  a  fence  scientifically. 

To  fill  the  wood  box  every  night. 

To  be  gentle  to  his  little  sisters. 

To  shut  doors  without  slamming. 

To  sew  on  a  button  and  darn  a  stocking. 

To  do  errands  promptly  and  cheerfully. 

To  shut  the  door  in  winter  to  keep  the  cold  out. 

To  shut  doors  in  summer  to  keep  the  flies  out. 

To  wash  dishes  and  make  his  bed  when  necessary. 

To  have  a  dog  if  possible  and  make  a  companion  of 
him. 

To  get  ready  to  go  away  without  the  united  efforts 
of  mother  and  sister. 

Friday  is  Not  Unlucky. 

Friday,  February  22,  1732,  George  Washington  was 
born. 

Bismarck,  Gladstone,  and  Disraeli  were  born  on  Fri- 
day. 

Friday,  March  25,  1609,  the  Hudson  river  was  dis- 
covered. 

Friday,  June  30,  1461,  Louis  XI.  humbled  the  French 
nobles. 

Friday,  March  18,  1776,  the  Stamp  Act  was  repealed 
in  England. 

Friday,  June  13,  1492,  Columbus  discovered  the  conti- 
nent of  America. 

Friday,  December  22,  1620,  the  Pilgrims  made  the  final 
landing  at  Plymouth  Rock. 

Friday,  June  13,  1785,  General  Winfield  Scott  was 
born  in  Dinwiddie  County,  Va. 

Friday,  June  10,  1834,  Spurgeon,  the  celebrated  Eng- 
lish preacher,  was  born. 

Friday,  November  20,  1721,  the  first  Masonic  lodge 
was  organized  in  North  America. 

Thomas  Sutton,  who  saved  England  from  the  Spanish 
armada,  was  born  on  Friday. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  11$ 

Friday,  January  12,  1433,  Charles  the  Bold,  of  Bur- 
gundy, was  born,   the  richest  sovereign  of  Europe. 

Friday,  November  28,  1814,  the  first  newspaper  ever 
printed  by  steam,  the  London  Times,  was  prmted. 

Friday,  June  12,  1802,  Alexander  Von  Humboldt,  in 
climbing  Chimborazo,  reached  an  altitude  of  19,200  feet. 

Friday,  September  7,  1465,  Melendez  founded  St. 
Augustine,  the  oldest  town  in  the  United  States  by  more 
than  forty  years. 

Friday,  April  8,  1646,  the  first  known  newspaper  ad- 
vertisement was  published  in  The  Imperial  Intelligencer^ 
in   England. 

Friday,  May  14,  1586,  Gabriel  Fahrenheit,  usually  re- 
garded as  the  inventor  of  the  common  mercurial  ther- 
mometer, was  born. 

Friday;  March  5,  1496,  Henry  VHI.  of  England,  gave 
to  John  Cabot  his  commission,  which  led  to  the  dis- 
covery of  North  America.  This  is  the  first  American 
state  paper  in  England. 

Friday,  July  7,  1776,  the  motion  was  made  in  congress 
by  John  Adams,  and  seconded  by  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
that  the  United  States  colonies  were,  and  of  right  ought 
to  be,  free  and  independent. 

Friday,  March  20,  1738,  Pope  Clement  XH.  promul- 
gated his  bull  of  excommunication  against  the  Free- 
masons. Ever  since  the  allocution  excommunicating  in- 
discriminately all  Freemasons  the  order  has  received  an 
immense  impetus  in  Italy,  France,  and  Spain. 

Sobriquets  of  Women. 

Mary  of  Modena,  Queen  of  James  H.  of  England, 
bore  the  title  of  "  Queen  of  Tears." 

The  title  of  ''  St.  Filomena "  was  bestowed  upon 
Florence  Nightingale  by  Longfellow. 

Jenny  Lind,  the  famous  singer,  bore  the  appropriate 
name  of  ''  the  Swedish  Nightingale." 

Elizabeth,  Queen  of  Bohemia,  and  daughter  of  James 
I.  of  England,  was  called  the  *'  Queen  of  Hearts." 

Johanna,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Edmund,  Earl  of 
Kent,  gained  the  sobriquet  of  "'  Fair  Maid  of  Kent." 

Elizabeth  Barton,  a  supposed  seeress  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  was  called  the  ''  Holy  Maid  of  Kent," 


Ii6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Louise  Labe,  the  French  poetess,  who  lived  in  the 
sixteenth  centurj^  was  called  ''  The  Beautiful  Rope- 
maker." 

"  The  Gem  of  Normandy "  was  the  complimentary- 
sobriquet  given  to  Emma,  daughter  of  Richard  I.,  Duke 
of  Normandy. 

Anne,  Countess  of  Sunderland,  and  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Marlborough,  bore  the  political  title  of  "  The 
Little  Whig." 

Matilda,  daughter  of  Henry  L  of  England,  was  given 
the  title  of  "  Lady  of  England  "  by  a  council  held  at 
Winchester  in  the  twelfth  century. 

'*  The  Semiramis  of  the  North,"  was  the  sobriquet 
bestowed  upon  Margaret,  daughter  of  Waldemar  IIL, 
King  of  Denmark,  for  her  warlike  qualities. 

*'  The  English  Sappho "  was  a  sobriquet  given  to 
Mary  Darby  Robinson,  who  acquired  a  reputation  for 
beauty,  wit,  and  poesy,  during  the  reign  of  George  IV. 

Augustina  Zaragoza,  of  Spain,  earned  the  sobriquet, 
"  The  Maid  oi  Saragossa,"  by  her  Lravery  during  the 
defence  of  Saragossa  against  the  French  in  1808-9. 

Queen  Mary  of  England  was  called  "  Bloody  Mary." 
Mary  was  succeeded  on  the  throne  by  her  sister  Eliza- 
beth, who  was  known  in  history  as  '*  Good  Queen  Bess." 
Elizabeth  was  also  called  "  The  Virgin  Queen." 

The  Influence  of  Color. 

The  influence  of  color  upon  the  complexion  and  gen- 
eral tone  of  the  toilet  is  very  striking.  Blondes  should 
avoid  the  lighter  shades  of  blue,  which  are  apt  to  give 
an  ashy  hue  to  the  complexion.  The  darker  shades  of 
blue  may  be  worn  more  recklessly  by  the  Llonde  than 
the  brighter  shades,  because  throwing  out  the  com- 
plexion in  high  relief  upon  an  accommodating  back- 
ground, and  the  darker  and  more  velvety  the  shade  the 
finer  the  effect.  Brunettes  cannot  wear  blue  becomingly, 
since  this  shade,  when  shadowed  by  a  yellow  skin,  en- 
ters into  a  composition  of  green,  and  the  tawniness  of 
the  complexion  is  increased.  The  florid  brunette  can 
risk  the  wearing  of  blue.  Green  is  a  dangerous  color 
for  brunettes,  but  well  adapted  to  the  fair.  A  pale 
brunette  can  effectively  wear  red — it  heightens  the  effect 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I17 

of  the  brune  beauty.  It  is  stated  by  a  reliable  authority 
that  ''  crimson  should  be  charily  indulged  in  by  the 
brunette,  but  crimson  may  be  worn  with  safety  by  the 
blonde.  Yellow  is  highly  bcoming  to  the  pale  brunette, 
and  especially  by  gaslight."  Yellow  grows  paler  and 
softer  in  artificial  than  in  natural  light;  it  enters  into 
the  olive  shade  in  the  brune  skin  with  a  softening  effect, 
giving  it  a  rich,  creamy  tint  that  becomes  beautiful  in 
contrast  with  brilliant  dark  eyes  and  rich  dark  hair. 
The  artists  long  ago  discovered  what  milliners  are  slow 
to  perceive,  and  that  is  that  yellow  clears  everything. 

Slang   ITames   for   Coin&. 

Probably  every  country  possesses  peculiar  or  ''  slang  " 
terms  in  every  day  use  for  its  coins.  For  instance,  a 
''  nickel  "  very  well  defines  the  five  cent  piece  of  cur- 
rency, and  a  *'  red  cent  "  is  equally  expressive.  In  Scot- 
land a  man  who  "  flies  kites  "  is  probably  not  worth  a 
"  boodle,"  which  is  an  imaginary  coin  slightly  differing 
from  the  same  term  here.  In  England  the  same  person 
would  not  be  worth  a  "  mag."  A  "  kite "  is  an  ac- 
commodation bill ;  a  ''  mag  "  is  the  smallest  copper  coin 
of  the  realm.  On  the  race  course  in  England  one  hears 
talk  of  betting  a  "pony,"  which  is  £25,  ($125),  or  win- 
ning a  "monkey,"  which  is  £500  ($2,500.)  This  latter, 
however,  is  somewhat  rare. 

A  "  quid "  only  has  reference  to  tobacco  when  the 
term  is  used  by  sailors.  Among  landsmen  it  means  £1 
($5.00.)  Small  gamblers  play  for  "bulls"  and  "half- 
bulls  " — in  other  words,  five  shillings  and  half-crowns. 
($1.25  and  6s  cents.)  Little  boys  occasionally  toss  for 
"joeys,"  or  four-penny  pieces  (8  cents),  and  a  hansom 
cab  driver  will  ex;pect  you  to  tip  him  with  a  "  tanner," 
which  is  what  he  calls  a  sixpence,  (12  cents),  while  the 
common  appellation  of  a  shilling  is  a  "  bob,"  (25  cents.) 
These  terms  are  commonly  in  use  all  over  England. 

Derivation  of  Words. 

Ethics,  from  ethos,  custom. 

The   dollar   was  the  German  thaler. 

The  guinea  was  first  made  in  Guinea. 


ilg  CURIOUS  FACTS 

The  florin  was  first  made  in  Florence. 

Mortal,  from  mar,  meaning  to  mar,  to  kill. 

Moral,  from  mos,  which  means  simply  custom. 

Sandwiches   were  first  made   by   Lx>rd    Sandwich. 

The  mark  was  stamped  with  the  lion  of  St.  Mark. 

Law,  A.  S.  legu,  simply  that  which  "  lies "  in  due 
order. 

Black  doubtless  comes  from  "  night,"  the  absence  of 
light. 

Electricity,  from  electron,  amber,  from  which  it  was 
discovered. 

Yellow  comes  from  the  trees  with  reference  to  their 
autumn  foliage. 

Green  is  from  the  same  root  as  greno,  referring  to  the 
trees  and  vegetation. 

Influenza,  so  named  because  the  epidemic  was  sup- 
posed to  have  been  caused  by  the  planets. 

Magenta,  a  red  or  crimson  dye  derived  from  aniline, 
first  brought  into  use  near  Magenta,  Italy. 

Rose,  pink,  violet,  copper,  bronze,  orange,  lemon, 
hazel  (chestnut),  ochre,  ash,  from  objects  in  nature. 

Superstition,  that  which  remains  or  stands  over,  that 
which  lingers  after  an  opinion  has  been  exploded. 

Blue  is  of  uncertain  origin,  probably  from  the  Ger- 
man for  "  lead,"  though  possibly  from  the  Swedish  name 
for  ''  ink." 

Ruins  of  Regamuende. 

A  city  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  was  seen  toward  the 
end  of  October  i8S8  near  Treptow,  in  Prussia,  when  a 
powerful  south  wind  blew  the  waters  of  the  Baltic  away 
from  the  shore,  uncovering  a  portion  of  ground  usually 
hidden  from  sight  by  the  waves.  It  was  the  ruins  of 
the  city  of  Regamuende,  once  a  flourishing  commercial 
station,  which  was  swallowed  by  the  sea  some  five  cen- 
turies ago.  The  unusual  spectacle  was  enjoyed  but  for 
a  few  hours,  when  the  storm  slackened  and  the  waves 
returned  to  cover  up  the  place  which  had  once  been  the 
residence  and  field  of  labor  of  busy  men. 

Longest  Twelve   Word  Telegram. 

There  were  450  competitors  for  the  prize  offered  by 
an  English  journal  for  the   longest   twelve  word  tele- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ng 

gram,  and  the  winner  put  in  the  following,  which  was 
accepted  by  the  telegraph  officers  for  transmission  for 
sixpence,  the  regular  rate :  "  Administrator  general's 
counter-revolutionary  intercommunications  uncircum- 
stantiated.  Quartermaster  general's  disproportionable- 
ness  characteristically  contradistinguished  unconstitu- 
tionalists'  incomprehensibilities." 

An   Intricate   Language. 

The  intricacies  of  our  language  are  well  illustrated  in 
the  definition  given   of  a   sleeper. 

A  sleeper  is  one  who  sleeps.  A  sleeper  is  that  in 
which  the  sleeper  sleeps.  A  sleeper  is  that  on  which 
the  sleeper  runs  while  the  sleeper  sleeps.  Therefore, 
while  the  sleeper  sleeps  in  the  sleeper,  the  sleeper  car- 
ries the  sleeper  over  the  sleeper  under  the  sleeper  until 
the  sleeper  which  carries  the  sleeper  jumps  the  sleeper 
and  wakes  the  sleeper  in  the  sleeper  by  striking  the 
sleeper  on  the  sleeper,  and  there  is  no  longer  any  sleeper 
sleeping  in  the  sleeper  on  the  sleeper. 

Derivation  of  the  Word  "Salary." 

The  derivation  of  our  word  "  salary  "  is  very  curious. 
In  ancient  times  Roman  soldiers  received  a  daily  portion 
of  salt  as  part  of  their  pay.  Sal,  in  Latin,  is  salt,  and 
when  the  salt  was,  in  course  of  time,  commuted  for 
money,  the  amount  was  called  salarium,  or  salt  money. 
Hence  our  ''  salary,"  and  hence,  no  doubt,  the  expres- 
sion, "  not  worth  his  salt  " — i.  c,  his  salary. 

The  Turks  and  the  Crescent. 

The  crescent  was  not  originally  an  emblem  of  the 
Turk.  It  was  first  used  by  the  primitive  Christians  of 
Constantinople  and  the  eastern  provinces  of  the  old 
Roman  Empire  as  an  emblem  of  the  growing  influence 
of  Christianity.  It  was  not  until  about  the  year  1453, 
after  the  Turks  had  overrun  Asia  Minor  and  parts  of 
southeastern  Europe,  and  had  captured  Constantinople, 
that  the  Turks  adopted  the  crescent  as  their  national 
emblem.  The  Koran  prohibits  the  use  of  images  and 
symbols  in  the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  strict  Turk, 


120  CURIOUS  FACTS 

or  the  internal  decorations  of  their  temples  and  mosques, 
the  rule  being  so  strict  as  not  to  allow  the  martial  or 
civic  decoration  of  their  greatest  generals  or  pashas, 
successful  commanders  or  other  distinguished  persons. 
The  adoption  of  the  crescent  by  the  Turk  as  a  national 
em.blem  is  an  oddity  which  has,  so  far,  remained  un- 
explained.— Exchange. 

Pigeon  English — Origin  of  the  Term. 

The  word  pidgin,  or  pigeon,  as  connected  with  Eng- 
lish, is  a  Chinaman's  poor  attempt  to  pronounce  the 
word  business.  Dr.  Brewer  gives  it — business,  bidgi- 
ness,  bdigin,  pidgin,  pigeon.  Pigeon  English,  there- 
fore, means  business  English.  It  is  a  strange  admix- 
ture of  English,  Chinese,  and  Portuguese,  and  is  used 
in  all  parts  of  the  far  east  as  a  means  of  communica- 
tion between  the  natives  and  the  foreigners.  During 
nearly  half  a  century,  and  especially  since  the  opening 
of  many  of  the  Chinese  ports  to  Europeans,  business 
relations  have  developed  to  such  vast  proportions  and 
reached  into  so  many  channels  that  some  universally 
understood  means  of  communication  became  absolutely 
necessary,  and  pidgin  or  pigeon  English  was  the  result. 
Its  acquirement  in  the  coast  ports,  at  all  events,  is  a 
matter  of  importance  both  with  traders  and  with  natives, 
who  seek  situations  in  foreign  employ,  and  it  has  become 
a  popular  medium  of  communication. 

Already  this  rude  form  of  our  language  bids  fair  not 
only  to  reach  all  the  peoples  of  the  far  east,  but  it  is 
extending  as  a  new  form  of  speech  in  this  country  and 
in  Australia,  and  wherever  else  the  patient,  industrious 
Chinaman  locates  himself  for  the  purposes  of  gain.  Ex- 
perts in  the  east  have  amused  themselves  and  their 
friends  with  translations  of  English  poetry  into  pigeon 
English.  Two  verses  of  Longfellow's  "  Excelsior '' 
have  been  rendered  as  follows : — 

Two  muchee  darkee  come  chop  chop 
One  young  man  walkee,  no  can   stop, 
Maskee  snow  !  maskee  ice ! 
He  cally  flag  with  chop  so  nice. 

Topside — Galah. 


CUmOVS  FACTS  121 

He  muchee  solly,  one  piecee  eye 
Lookee  sharp,  so,  all  same  my 
He  talkee  large,  he  talkee   strong, 
Too  muchee  curio,  all  same  gong. 

Topside — Galah. 

As  there  is  an  Anglo-Chinese  language  called  pigeon 
English,  so  there  is  an  Anglo-Indian  of  a  somewhat 
similar  character,  called  baboo  English,  a  mixture  of 
English  and  Hindostan  words. 

Englisb.  Words. 

Shakespeare,  who  is  considered  rather  wonderful  than 
learned,  had  a  vocabulary  of  about  15,000  words;  Mil- 
ton had  one  of  about  8000  words.  The  average  learned 
man  has  a  vocabulary  considerably  smaller  than  Mil- 
ton's; the  average  man  who  is  not  learned  can  get  along 
with  3000  or  4000,  and  the  man  who  doesn't  do  much 
of  any  thinking  can  get  along  with  about   1000  words. 

Crocodile    Tears. 

"  Crocodile  tears  "  are  sham  tears,  or  hypocritical  sor- 
row. The  crocodile  was  supposed  to  make  moans  and 
thus  draw  unsuspecting  travelers  into  its  power. 
Shakespeare  says: 

Gloster's   show 
Beguiles  him  as  the  mournful  crocodile 
With    sorrow   snares   relenting   passengers. 

When  Books  were  Written. 

Byron  began  "  Childe  Harold  "  when  he  was  20. 

Le  Sage  composed  his  ''  Gil  Bias  "  at  the  age  of  42. 

Dante  was  50  when  he  completed  his   "  Commedia.'* 

Wordsworth  was  44  when  he  wrote  "  The  Excur- 
sion." 

Dr.  Johnson  commenced  his  dictionary  at  the  age  of 
39- 

Goethe  wrote  his  **  Sorrows  of  Werther "  when  he 
was  23. 


122  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Keats  wrote  "  Endymion "  at  22 ;  "  The  Eve  of  St. 
Agnes "   at  24. 

Addison  was  39  when  he  commenced  his  ''  Spectator 
Essays." 

Carlyle  wrote  "  Sartor  Resartus  "  at  39 ;  "  The  French 
Revolution  "  at  42. 

Swift  wrote  his  "  Battle  of  the  Books  "  at  30 ;  "  Gul- 
liver's Travels"  at  59. 

Sterne  wrote  ''Tristram  Shandy"  at  46;  "The  Sen- 
timental Journey"   at  55. 

Macaulay  wrote  "  Ivry  "  at  26;  "Essays,"  40  to  42; 
"  History  of  England  "  at  48. 

De  Quincey  was  35  when  he  wrote  "  The  Confessions 
of  an  Opium  Eater." 

Milton  wrote  "  L' Allegro,"  "  II  Penseroso,"  "  Comus  " 
at  29 ;    "  Paradise   Lost "   at   57. 

Gray  wrote  the  "Ode  to  Adversity"  at  36;  "Elegy 
in  a  Country  Churchyard  "  at  43. 

Manzoni,  Italy's  greatest  novel  writer,  wrote  "  The 
Betrothed "   when  he  was  43. 

Schiller  was  19  when  he  wrote  "  The  Robbers,"  and 
26  when  he  composed  "  Don  Carlos." 

Richard  Brinsley  Sheridan  wrote  "  The  Rivals "  at 
2S ;  "  The  Duenna  "  at  25 ;  "  School  for  Scandal  "  at  26. 

Bacon  was  49  when  he  wrote  "  The  Wisdom  of  the 
Ancients,"  and  past  60  when  he  finished  his  "  Novum 
Organum." 

Shelley  wrote  his  "  Essay  on  the  Necessity  of 
Atheism"  at  17;  "Queen  Mab,"  18;  "Prometheus  and 
the  Cenci,"  27. 

Coleridge  wrote  "  The  Ancient  Mariner,"  and  "  Chris- 
tabel  "  at  24 ;  "  Biographia  Literaria "  and  "  Table 
Talk,"  44- 

Fielding  wrote  "  Love  in  Several  Masques "  at  20 ; 
"Joseph  Andrews,"  35;  "Jonathan  Wild,"  36;  "Tom 
Jones,"  42. 

Cervantes,  the  great  Spaniard,  was  50  years  of  age 
when  he  finished  "  Don  Quixote."  He  wrote  it  during 
an  imprisonment. 

Robert  Burns  wrote  his  "  Poor  Maillie's  Elegy  "  and 
"  John  Barleycorn  "  at  19,  and  all  of  his  best  work  was 
done  before  he  was  25. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  123 

Thackeray  wrote  "  Michael  Angelo  Titmarsh  Papers  '* 
at  30;  "Vanity  Fair,"  35;  "  Pendennis,"  39;  "Henry 
Esmond,"  41 ;  "  Virginians,"  46. 

Dumas,  the  elder,  was  25  when  he  wrote  his  drama 
"  Henry  the  Third,"  41  when  he  wrote  *'  The  Three 
Musketeers,"  and  42  when  he  wrote  the  "  Count  of 
Monte  Cristo." 

Balzac  gave  to  France  his  ''  Physiology  o£  Marriage  " 
at  31,  and  his  "  Comedie  Humane,"  including  '*  Pere 
Goriot,"  '*  Cousin  Pons,"  "  Eugene  Grandet,"  &c.,  after 
he  was  35. 

Heinrich  Heine,  wit,  poet,  satirist,  and  philosopher, 
composed  his  first  lyrics  at  22 — his  *'  Youthful  Sorrows." 
At  26  he  wrote  his  celebrated  *' Reisebilder "  (Pictures 
of  Travel). 

Victor  Hugo  wrote  a  volume  of  odes  and  ballads  at 
20,  "  Marion  de  L'Orme "  at  29,  "  Ruy  Bias "  at  36, 
''  Les  Miserables,"  his  greatest  work,  at  60,  and  the 
''  Toilers  of  the  Sea  "  at  63. 

Goldsmith  wrote  "Vicar  of  Wakefield"  at  36;  *' The 
Traveler,"  36;  "The  Good  Natured  Man,"  39;  "Ro- 
man History,"  41;  "She  Stoops  to  Conquer,"  44; 
"  History  of  Animated  Nature,"  46. 

Lessing  was  2>7  when  he  wrote  the  greatest  critique, 
"  The  Laocoon ; "  43  when  he  wrote  his  tragedy, 
"  Emelia  Galotti ;  "  46  when  he  gave  to  the  world  his 
charming  comedy,  "  Minna  von  Bernheim." 

Dickens  wrote  "  Boz  Sketches  "  at  24 ;  "  Pickwick," 
25;  "Oliver  Twist,"  26;  "Nicholas  Nickleby,"  27; 
"  Barnaby  Rudge,"  "  Old  Curiosity  Shop,"  "  Master 
Humphrey's  Clock,"  29;  "Martin  Chuzzlewit,"  32; 
"  Dombey  and  Son,"  36. 

Scott  wrote  "  Leonora "  and  "  Wild  Huntsman,"  at 
25;  "Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,"  34;  "Guy  Mannering," 
"  Rob  Roy,"  "  Ivanhoe,"  "  The  Heart  of  Midlothian," 
from  44  to  48;  "  Kenil worth,"  "  Quentin  Durward," 
"  Peveril  of  the  Peak,"  48  to  54- 

At  the  age  of  29  Shakespeare  wrote  his  "  Lucrece." 
His  "  Venus  and  Adonis  "  was  composed  at  an  earlier 
age.  When  he  had  reached  32  many  of  his  best  dramas 
had  been  written — "  Richard  IH.,"  "  Merchant  of  Ven- 
ice,"  "  Midsummer    Night's    Dream,"    "  Richard    II.," 


124  CURIOUS  FACTS 

and  ''All's  Well  That  Ends  Well."     At  40  he  wrote 
"  Hamlet." 

How   Some   Poems  Were   Written. 

Gray's  immortal  ''  Elegy "  occupied  him  for  seven 
years. 

Bryant  wrote  ''  Thanatopsis  "  in  the  shade  of  a  grand 
old  forest — a  fitting  spot  for  such  a  theme. 
^  Cowper  wrote  one  of  the  drollest  and  quaintest  Eng- 
lish ballads,  "John  Gilpin  s  Ride,"  when  he  was  under 
one  of  those  fits  of  depression  so  common  to  him. 

General  Lyle  wrote  his  beautiful  composition,  '*  An- 
tony and  Cleopatra,"  which  begins,  "  I  am  dymg,  Egypt, 
dying,"  on  the  night  before  his  death.  He  had  a  pre- 
monition that  he  was  going  to  die  the  next  day. 

The  noted  poem,  ''  1  he  Falls  of  Niagara,"  was  written 
by  its  author,  J.  G.  C.  Brainard,  the  editor  of  a  small 
paper  in  Connecticut,  in  fifteen  minutes.  He  wrote  it 
under  pressure  in  response  to  a  call  for  ''  more  copy." 

''  After  the  Ball,"  the  little  poem  which  has  made  the 
name  of  Nora  Perry  known  in  the  world  of  letters,  was 
jotted  down  on  the  back  of  an  old  letter,  with  no  idea 
of  the  popularity  it  was  to  achieve  in  the  pages  of  a 
noted  magazine. 

Thomas  Moore,  while  writing  "  Lalla  Rookh,"  spent 
so  many  months  in  reading  up  Greek  and  Persian  works 
that  he  became  an  accomplished  Oriental  scholar,  and 
people  foun'd  it  difficult  to  believe  that  its  scenes  were 
not  penned  on  the  spot,  instead  of  in  a  retired  dwellmg 
in  Derbyshire. 

Foe  first  thought  of  ''  The  Bells  "  when  walking  the 
streets  of  Baltimore  on  a  winter's  night.  He  rang  the 
bell  of  a  lawyer's  house  (a  stranger  to  him),  walked 
into  the  gentleman's  library,  shut  himself  up,  and  the 
next  morning  presented  the  lawyer  with  a  copy  of  the 
celebrated  poem. 

The  ''  Old  Oaken  Bucket "  was  first  suggested  to  the 
author,  Samuel  Wood  worth,  in  a  bar-room.  A  friend 
with  whom  he  was  drinking  said  that  when  they  were 
boys  the  old  oaken  bucket  that  hung  in  his  father's  well 
was  good  enough  for  them  to  drink  from.  Woodworth 
immediately  went  home  and  wrote  the  famous  poem. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I25 

"  Old  Grimes,"  that  familiar  "  little  felicity  in  verse/' 
which  caught  the  popular  fancy  as  far  back  as  1823, 
was  a  sudden  inspiration  of  the  late  Judge  Albert  G. 
Greene,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  who  found  the  first  verse 
in  a  collection  of  old  English  ballads,  and,  enjoying  its 
humor,  built  up  the  remainder  of  the  poem  in  the  same 
conceit. 

Old  Colloquial  Phrases. 

A  writer  in  a  literary  monthly  lately  announced,  with 
an  air  of  surprise,  his  discovery  of  the  word  "  flam," 
used  in  its  present  colloquial  sense,  in  a  work  dated 
1682.  The  surprise  was  natural,  for  probably  few  but 
professed  students  of  our  older  literature  know  what  a 
large  number  of  present  day  words  and  phrases,  modern 
and  new  fangled  as  they  appear,  are  but  survivals,  some- 
times with  slightly  changed  meaning,  from  bygone  times. 
In  addition  to  a  considerable  number  of  such  words  the 
seventeenth  century  vocabulary  was  also  rich  in  col- 
loquial words  and  phrases,  which,  owing  to  changed 
conditions  of  life,  and  to  the  gradual  and  latterly  rapid 
growth  of  the  language,  have  either  slowly  died  out  of 
use,  or  have  been  elbowed  out  of  favor  and  existence 
by  more  modern  popular  coinages.  That  will  suit  me 
'*  down  to  the  ground,"  says  the  modern  dealer  in  slang; 
two  centuries  and  more  ago  it  would  have  suited  him 
*'  up  and  down."  John  Day,  in  his  curious  play,  the 
"  Isle  of  Gulls,"  1606,  says,  "  A  thinge  once  well  done 
is  twice  done;  and  I  am  in  her  mind  for  that,  up  and 
downe."  ''  Friday-face  "  is  a  term  still  occasionally  ap- 
plied to  a  sour-visaged  person ;  it  was  formerly  in  very 
common  use.  In  the  old  comedy  of  ''  Wily  Beguiled," 
1606,  we  find :  *'  What  a  friday-fac'd  slave  it  is !  I  think 
in  my  conscience  his  face  never  keeps  holiday."  The 
phrase  is  doubtless  derived  from  Friday  being,  ecclesi- 
astically, the  banyan  day  of  the  week. — Gentleman's 
Magazine. 

The  Indian  Sign  Language. 

Although  there  are  73  different  languages  and  about 
800  dialects  spoken  by  the  Indians,  the  sign  language  is 
equally  understood  by  all  the  tribes.  Chief  Natchez,  of 
the  Piute  tribe,  is  an  adept  in  the  sign  language.    In 


126  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Washington  city  some  years  ago  he  held  a  consultation 
by  signs  with  the  best  experts,  in  which  he  gave  an 
account  of  the  troubles  existing  at  that  time  with  some 
bands  of  renegade  Indians  up  near  the  Oregon  line, 
describing  a  trip  he  made  to  the  camp  of  the  hostiles. 
Natchez  enjoys  the  almost  solitary  honor  of  having  had 
his  talk  published  in  the  government  reports  on  these 
matters,  with  a  full  explanation  of  every  sign  he  used 
in  conveying  the  intelligence  sought  from  him.  He  was 
highly  spoken  of  by  government  experts  for  his  great 
knowledge  of  and  readiness  in  the  Indian  sign  language. 

A  Poetic  Aphorism. 
The  lines, 

"  Though  the  mills  of  God  grind  slowly. 
Yet  they  grind  exceeding  small; 
Though  with  patience   He  stands   waiting. 
Yet  with  exactness  grinds  He  all.'* 

may  be  found  in  Longfellow's  translations  from  the 
"  Sinngedichte  "  of  Friedrich  von  Logan,  under  the  head 
of  "  Poetic  Aphorisms." 

Origin  of  a  Famous  Song. 

Once  over  the  bar  at  its  entrance  from  the  Gulf,  the 
Suwanee  River  holds  its  way  with  a  deep  current,  in 
places  of  forty  feet,  far  up  through  the  forests  of  the 
best  hard  pine  in  the  State.  This  dark  river  has,  too, 
its  romance,  as  being  the  place  which  gave  rise  to  a 
melody  which,  like  "  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  the  affection 
of  the  heart  will  never  let  go.  For  it  was  here  that  a 
French  family  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  came  over  and 
settled  upon  the  Suwanee  and  made  a  plantation.  After 
a  while  the  father  and  mother  and  all  died  save  one 
daughter,  who,  disheartened  and  desolate,  returned  to 
France,  and  there  wrote,  adopting  in  part  that  negro 
dialect  which  she  had  been  familiar  with  on  the  planta- 
tion in  her  girlhood,  a  feeling  tribute  to  "  the  old  folks 
at  home  "  in  their  graves  in  the  far-off  country. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  127 

Extraordinary  Longevity. 

The  records  prove  that  the  following  persons  have 
attained  an  age  exceeding  125  years.  The  year  desig- 
nated  in  the   left  hand   column   is   the  year   of  death. 

When  not  otherwise  specified,  the  subject  was  a  resi- 
dent of  the  British  Isles. 

Year.  Age. 

1759  Don  Cameron   130 

1766  John  Delasomer   131 

....  George  King    129 

1767  John    Taylor    130 

1774  William   Beattie    133 

1778  John  Watson   130 

1780  Robert   M'Bride    127 

....  William   Ellis    131 

1764  Eliza   Taylor    131 

1775  Peter   Garden    131 

1761  Eliza  Merchant  133 

1772  Mrs.  Keith   133 

1767  Francis    Ange    134 

1777  John  Brooke 134 

1714  Jane    Harrison    135 

1759  James    Shellie    136 

1768  Catherine  Noonan   136 

1771  Margaret  Foster  '  136 

1776  John  Miarait   137 

1772  J.   Richardson    137 

1793  —  Robertson   137 

1757  William    Sharpley    138 

1768  J.    M'Donough    138 

1770  —  Fairbrother 138 

1772  Mrs.   Clum   138 

Countess  of  Desmond 140 

1778  Swarling    (a    monk)     142 

1773  Charles  MTinley   143 

1757  John   Effingham 144 

1782  Evan  Williams 145 

1766  Thomas  Winsloe    146 

1772  J.  C.  Drakenberg  146 

1652  William  Mead  148 

1768  Francis  Confi 150 


128  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Year.  Age. 

1542  Thomas  Newman  152 

1656  James  Bowels    152 

....   Henry    West    152 

1648  Thomas  Damme 149 

1635  Thomas    Parr    152 

1797  Joseph  Surrington   160 

1668  WiUiam    Edwards    168 

1670  Henry   Jenkins    169 

1780  Louisa   Truxo    175 

1820  Soloman   Nibet    143 

1822  Lucretia   Stewart    130 

1839  Wm.  James    (S.   CaroUna)    132 

1846  Thos.  Lightfoot    (Canada)    127 

1861  Marian  Moore   (England)    131 

1869  —  Lockhart  (Iowa)   127 

1878  Eulalia   Perez    ( California)    140 

....   Edna  Goodman   (Arkan.)    127 

1888  Granny    Rose    (S.    Carolina)     131 

1889 —  Wapmarek    (Germany)    126 

The  cases  of  Thomas  Parr,  Henry  Jenkins,  and 
Louisa  Truxo  are  the  best  authenticated  of  any  in  the 
list,  notwithstanding  that  they  are  given  as  being  among 
the  oldest.  In  1887,  James  James,  a  negro,  living  near 
Santa  Rosa,  Mexico,  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  a 
number  of  doctors  that  he  was  135  years  old. — St.  Louis 
Republic. 

A  Bit   of  History. 

Edward  VII.  King  of  Great  Britain  and  Emperor  of 
India,  is  the  oldest  son  of  the  late  Queen  Victoria,  who 
was  the  niece  of  William  IV.,  who  w^as  the  brother  of 
George  IV.,  who  was  the  son  of  George  III.,  who  was 
the  grandson  of  George  IL,  who  was  the  son  of  George 
I.,  who  was  the  cousin  of  Queen  Anne,  who  was  the 
sister-in-law  of  William  III.,  who  was  the  son-in-law 
of  James  IL,  who  was  the  brother  of  Charles  IL,  who 
was  the  son  of  Charles  L,  who  was  the  son  of  James  L, 
who  was  the  cousin  of  Elizabeth,  who  was  the  sister  of 
Mary,  who  was  the  sister  of  Edward  VI.,  who  was  the 
son  of  Henry  VIIL,  who  was  the  son  of  Henry  VIL, 
who  was  the  cousin  of  Richard  III.,  who  was  the  uncle 


CURIOUS  FACTS  129 

of  Edward  V.,  who  was  the  son  of  Edward  IV.,  who 
was  the  cousin  of  Henry  VI.,  who  was  the  son  of 
Henry  V.,  who  was  the  cousin  of  Richard  IL,  who  was 
the  grandson  of  Edward  II.,  who  was  the  son  of  Ed- 
ward I.,  who  was  the  son  of  Henry  III.,  who  was  the 
son  of  John,  who  was  the  brother  of  Richard  I.,  who 
was  the  son  of  Henry  II.,  who  was  the  cousin  of 
Stephen,  who  was  the  cousin  of  Henry  I.,  who  was  the 
brother  of  WiUiam*  Rufus,  who  was  the  son  of  William 
the  conqueror. 

Thus  King  Edward  can  trace  his  ancestors  back  to 
about  800  years  ago. 

Eskimo  Dogs. 

During  his  wonderful  sledge  journey  from  Hudson 
Bay  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  Frederick  Schwatka  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  learn  the  habits  and  the  dis- 
position of  the  Eskimo  dog.  He  started  out  with  sixty 
of  them,  using  them  to  draw  the  sledges,  and  only  nine- 
teen were  alive  when  he  returned  to  Hudson  Bay.  The 
others  had  died,  mostly  of  starvation.     He  says : — 

"  They  were  through  all  this  horrible  time  perfect 
respecters?  of  their  human  allies,  and  the  little  children 
used  to  go  among  them  and  play  with  them  by  pelting 
them  over  the  back  with  their  toy  whips;  and  yet  the 
same  dogs  were  starving,  and  should  one  of  them  die 
his  comrades  would  eat  him.  I  notice  this  particularly, 
as  some  sensational  writers  have  tried  to  make  their 
readers  believe  that  the  Eskimo  dogs  are  liable  to  be- 
come dangerous  fellows,  even  to  a  powerfully  built 
man,  when  simply  hungry,  and  to  be  worse  than  wild 
beasts  when  ravenous.  Any  onslaught  of  Eskimo  dogs 
is  unknown  among  the  northern  natives  where  I  trav- 
eled. 

"  It  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme  to  see  their  sufferings 
as  they  so  devotedly  helped  us  along,  many  of  them  up 
till  the  very  minute  they  had  to  be  taken  from  the  har- 
ness and  abandoned  on  the  road.  As  they  dropped  out 
along  the  way,  we  harnessed  ourselves  in  their  places 
to  the  sledge  traces,  and  it  was  thus  we  were  not 
compelled  to  leave  important  parts  of  our  load." 


130 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


The  Rewards  of  Editing. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

Sir, — Apropos  of  the  presently  raging  controversy  be- 
tween authors  and  publishers,  some  interest  may  be  felt 
in  the  following  list  of  honoraria  paid  to  different 
editors  of  the  various  editions  of  Shakespeare,  Milton, 
Ben  Jonson,  Beaumont  and  Fletcher: — 


For  Editing  Shakespeare. 


Mr.  Roose  was  paid  . 

($i8o.) 

£2,6  10 

0 

Mr.  Hughes 

(140.) 

28    7 

0 

Mr.   Pope 

.      (1,087.) 

217  12 

0 

Mr.  Fenton 

.         (153.) 

30  14 

0 

]\Ir.  Gay 

.         (175.) 

35  17 

0 

Mr.  Whalley 

(60.) 

12    0 

0 

Mr.  Theobald 

(3,260.) 

652  10 

0 

Dr.  Warburton 

(2,500.) 

500    0 

0 

Mr.  Cap  el 

(1,500.) 

300    0 

0 

Dr.  Johnson  (ist  Edition)  . 

(1,575.) 

375    0 

0 

Dr.  Johnson  (2n( 

1  Edition) 

(500.) 

100    0 

0 

Pope's  edition  of  Shakespeare  was  originally  sold  to 
subscribers  at  six  guineas  a  copy  ($30.00),  whereas 
Sir  Thomas  Hanmer's  only  cost  three  guineas  a  copy 
($15.00). 

For  Editing  Milton. 

Dr.  Bentley,  in  1732,  was  paid      .       ($525.)     £105    o    o 

Dr.  Newton  (for  "Paradise  Lost")    (3,150.)       630    o    o 

Dr.  Newton    (for  '*  Paradise  Re- 
gained") ....         (525.)       los 


For  Editing  Ben  Jonson. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Whalley  was  paid  ($1,050.) 


o    0 


£210    o    o 


For  Editing  Beaumont  and  Fletcher 

Mr.  Theobald  was  paid     .         .       ($785-)       ^i57  10  o 

Mr.  Simpson  .         .         •         i^^'X  ^  J^  o 

Mr.  Seward      .        .        .        >        (275-)  55  10  o 


CURIOUS  FACTS  131 

Dr.  Smollett,  for  preparing  a  new 
edition  of  his  "  Universal  His- 
tory "  was  paid       .         .         .     ($7,875-)  ^1,575    o    O 

— Faithfully  Yours,  Tracey  La  yard  Robinson. 

Newstead  Villas,  Newstead  Road, 
Lee,  S.  E.,  March  1889. 


Mottaes  for  Sun  Dials. 

Dials  live  over  into  this  age  of  cheap  clocks  and 
watches  not  by  reason  of  their  use  or  convenience,  but 
because  of  their  associations.  They  were  formerly  de- 
signed with  taste,  and  bore  inscriptions  suited  to  their 
purpose.  Many  of  these  are  historic,  as  the  one  that 
used  to  be  at  Paul's  Cross  in  London,  which  said,  in 
Latin,  '*  I  number  none  but  sunny  hours." 

An  old-fashioned  dial  in  a  garden  of  Sussex,  England, 
is  said  to  bear  upon  its  plate  these  four  mottoes,  each 
for  its  own  season :  **  After  Darkness,  Light ;  "  "  Alas ! 
how  swift;"  "I  warn  whilst  I  move;"  *' So  passes 
Life." 

Familiar  old  mottoes  are  some  of  ^  our  every  day 
proverbs.  Some  of  these  are,  '*  All  things  do  wax  and 
wane;"  "The  longest  day  must  end;"  "Make  hay 
while  the  sun  shines." 

One  of  the  most  appropriate  of  these  mottoes  used  to 
be  borne  by  a  dial  that  stood  in  the  old  Temple  Gar- 
dens, and  it  is  said  to  have  been  furnished  by  the  great 
Lord  Chancellor  Bacon.  His  lordship  was  hard  at  work 
one  day  in  his  chambers,  when  an  idle  student  dropped 
in  to  ask  for  a  motto  for  the  new  sun  dial  which  was 
then  being  built.  Twice  the  student  humbly  made  his 
request,  but  the  grave  chancellor  gave  no  reply  or  sign 
of  having  heard  it.  At  last,  as  the  petitioner  began  for 
the  third  time.  Bacon  looked  up  and  said  angrily : 

"  Sirrah,  be  gone  about  your  business !  " 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  my  lord,"  replied  the  suitor. 
"  The  very  thing  for  the  dial !  Nothing  could  be  better." 
— Youth's  Companion. 


132  CURIOUS  FACTS 

The  Fourteen  Great  Mistakes. 

^It  IS  a  great  mistake  to  set  up  our  own  standard  of 
right  and  wrong,  and  judge  people  accordingly;  to  meas- 
ure the  enjoyment  of  others  by  our  own;  to  expect  uni- 
formity of  opinion  in  this  world;  to  look  for  judgment 
and  experience  in  youth;  to  endeavor  to  mold  all  dis- 
positions alike ;^  to  yield  to  immaterial  trifles;  to  look 
for  perfection  in  our  own  actions;  to  worry  ourselves 
and  others  with  what  cannot  be  remedied;  not  to  alle- 
viate all  that  needs  alleviation  as  far  as  lies  in  our 
power;  not  to  make  allowances  for  the  infirmities  of 
others;  to  consider  everything  impossible  that  we  can- 
not perform;  to  believe  only  what  our  finite  minds  can 
grasp;  to  expect  to  be  able  to  understand  everything. 

Unappreciated. 

The  perversity  of  human  judgment  has  often  been 
illustrated  in  sneering  dispraise  or  utter  neglect  of  a 
new  literary  work  that  has  since  proved  its  right  to 
immortality.  In  the  case  of  some  masterpieces  lapse 
of  time  or  the  death  of  their  author  seems  necessary 
to  open  the  eyes  of  critics  to  their  merits. 

Soon  after  "  Paradise  Lost  "  was  published,  the  (then) 
celebrated  poet  Waller  said  of  it,  **  The  old  blind  school- 
master, John  Milton,  hath  published  a  tedious  poem  on 
the  fall  of  man;  if  its  length  be  not  considered  as  a 
merit  it  hath  no  other." 

Pepys  in  his  Memoirs  thus  speaks  of  Hudibras,_ 
**  When  I  came  to  read  it,  it  is  so  silly  an  abuse  of  the' 
Presbyter  knight  going  to  the  wars  that  I  am  ashamed 
of  it;  and  by  and  by,  meeting  at  Mr.  Townsend's  at 
dinner,  I  sold  it  to  Mr.  Battersby  for  eighteen  pence." 

Newspaper  I3"anies  in  the  Far  West. 

One  of  our  western  historical  societies  possesses  copies 
of  the  following  newspapers.  The  names  were  copied 
from  its  files,  and  published  in  The  Writer,  of  Boston, 
by  Mr.  F.  O.  Popenoe. 

Kansas  Prairie  Dog,  Cheyenne  County  Rustler,  Clark 
County  Clipper,  Cash  City  Cashier,  Morganville  News 
and  Sunflower,  The  Saturday  Cyclone,  The  Brick,  The 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  133 

Eye,  The  Allison  Breeze  and  Times,  The  Head  Centre 
and  Daily  Morning  Sun,  The  Broad  Axe,  Grip,  Loco- 
motive, Kansas  Cowboy,  The  Ryansville  Boomer,  Hill 
City  Lively  Times,  Western  Cyclone,  Conductor  Punch, 
Cimaron  Herald  and  Kansas  Sod  House,  The  Monte- 
zuma Chief,  Ensign  Razzoop,  Border  Ruffian,  the  Jay- 
hawker  and  Palladium,  Santa  Fe  Trail,  Comanche  Chief 
and  Kiowa  Chief,  Daily  Infant  Wonder,  The  Scout, 
Gopher,  and  Winona,  The  Hatchet,  The  Fanatic,  The 
Comet,  the  Boomerang,  the  Hornet,  The  Wasp,  Aston- 
isher  and  Paralyzer,  Inkslingers'  Advertiser,  Grisby 
City  Scorcher,  Sunday  Growler,  The  Prairie  Owl, 
Springfield  Soap  Box,  The  Whim-Wham,  Sherman 
County  Dark  Horse,  The  Bazoo,  Thomas  County  Cat, 
and  Grit. 

Gathering   the   Vanilla   Bean. 

The  vanilla  bean  is  the  costliest  bean  on  earth.  It 
flourishes  in  Mexico,  chiefly  in  Papantla  and  Misantla. 
It  grows  wild,  and  is  gathered  and  marketed  by  the 
natives.  Just  as  they  come  from  the  forests  the  beans 
sell  at  $10.00  per  1,000.  After  the  beans  are  dried  and 
cured  they  are  worth  from  $10.00  to  $11.00  per  pound, 
according  to  quality.  They  are  used  by  druggists  and 
confectioners,  and  are  an  important  article  of  commerce. 

Consolation  for  the  Red  Haired. 

It  may  be  consoling  to  light  haired  and  red  headed 
people  to  read  that  out  of  165  patients  at  an  English 
insane  asylum  only  one  has  red  hair,  and  only  four 
have  light  hair  and  complexion.  We  venture  the  guess, 
however,  that  that  red  headed  chap  makes  matters  as 
lively  as  all  the  other  164  put  together.  It  used  to  be 
supposed  that  a  pale  complexion  specially  marked  ten- 
dency to  mental  excitement  and  brain  disorder.  The 
statistics,  however,  show  this  to  be  an  error.  What  is 
true  of  men  is  also  true  of  women;  they  are,  with  one 
exception  in  fifty,  dark  haired  and  dark  hued.  It  is 
sometimes  the  case  that  the  hair  turns  white  with  in- 
sanity. Probably  the  error  arose  from  this  fact.  The 
reason  why  dark  people  are  more  inclined  to  mental 
disorder  has  not  been  explained. 


134  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Curious  Italian  Superstitions. 

St.  John's  day  in  Italy  is  thus  observed  at  Revello, 
Italy.  The  people  here  have  a  curious  superstition  con- 
nected with  this  eve  of  St.  John's  day,  which  is  ob- 
served by  many.  They  repeat  their  rosaries  until  mid- 
night, and  then  look  out,  firmly  believing  that  they  will 
see  Herodias  and  her  daughter  pass,  riding  on  a  fiery 
plank,  the  daughter  saying:  ''Mother,  why  did  you  say 
it?"  and  the  mother  saying,  ''Daughter,  why  did  you 
do  it  ?  "  and  then  plunge  into  the  sea,  the  reason  why, 
after  St.  John's  day,  the  temperature  o£  the  sea  rises, 
and  bathing  begins. 

How  to  Select  a  Wife. 

In  the  first  place,  see  the  girl  you  intend  to  honor 
as  early  in  the  morning  as  possible,  and  note  whether 
she  is  fresh  and  tidy  or  limp  and  frowsy. 

Watch  how  she  treats  her  pets — her  dog,  her  canary, 
her  little  sisters. 

Discover  what  she  eats  and  drinks,  and  make  your- 
self certain  w^hether  she  bathes  or  uses  perfumery. 

Remember  if  she  makes  a  habit  of  walking  or  driv- 
ing. 

Inform  yourself  whether  she  dotes  upon  Owen  Mere- 
dith and  Henry  James,  or  reads  Longfellow  and  Feni- 
more  Cooper. 

Go  to  church  with  her  and  see  if  she  cares  more  for 
the  preacher  than  for  the  Gospel. 

Make  a  sly  study  of  her  anatomy  when  you  get  a 
chance.  Walk  with  her  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  dance 
a  whole  waltz  through  with  her,  and  mark  if  she  allows 
herself  breathing  room  and  wears  tight  slippers. 

Familiarize  yourself  with  her  father's  affairs  and  her 
mother's  temper;  and  then,  my  boy,  when  you've  found 
a  girl  who  is  neat,  trim,  true,  healthy,  wealthy  and  wise, 
sail  in  and  win  her. 

Big  Gold  Nuggets. 

No  name  nugget,  found  at  Weebville,  August  i,  1869, 
weighed  12  pounds,  worth  $2,750. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  135 

Sir  Dominic  Daly  nugget,  found  February  27,  1862, 
weighed  26  pounds,  and  sold  for  $6,240. 

No  name  nugget,  found  at  Bakery  Hill,  March  6,  1885, 
weighed  40  pounds,  and  was  worth  $9,600. 

Nil  desperandum  nugget,  found  at  Black  Hills,  No- 
vember 29,  1859,  weighed  45  pounds,  and  sold  for 
$10,800. 

Welcome  stranger  nugget,  found  on  Mount  Moliagel, 
February  9,  1869,  weighed  190  pounds,  and  was  worth 
$45,000. 

Uncle  Jack  nugget,  found  at  Buningorg,  February  28, 
1857,  weighed  23  pounds  5  ounces,  and  was  sold  for 
$5,620. 

No  name  nugget,  found  at  Ballarat,  February  3,  1853, 
just  12  feet  below  the  surface,  weighed  30  pounds,  and 
sold  for  $7,360. 

Gates  &  Delson  nugget,  found  at  Donnelly  gold  field 
in  1880,  at  the  roots  of  a  tree,  weighed  189  pounds,  and 
sold  for  $50,000. 

The  Welcome  nugget  was  found  at  Bakery  Hill,  June 
9,  1858;  it  weighed  184  pounds  9  ounces  16  penny- 
weights, and  was  worth  $44,360. 

No  name  nugget,  found  at  Bakery  Hill,  Ballarat, 
March  5,  1855,  near  the  surface,  weighed  47  pounds  7 
ounces,  and  was  sold  for  $11,420. 

The  Kohinoor  nugget,  found  at  Ballarat,  July  27, 
i860,  at  a  depth  of  160  feet  from  the  surface,  weighed 
69  pounds,  and  was  sold  for  $16,680. 

No  name  nugget,  found  in  Canadian  Gully,  January 
20,  1853,  at  18  feet  below  the  surface,  weighed  93  pounds 
I  ounce  II  pennyweights,  and  sold  for  $22,350. 

No  name  nugget,  found  in  Canadian  Gully,  Ballarat, 
January  22,  1853,  at  a  depth  of  25  feet,  weighed  84 
pounds  3  ounces  15  pennyweights,  and  was  sold  for 
$20,235. 

The  Leg  of  Mutton  nugget  was  found  at  Ballarat, 
January  31,  1853,  at  a  depth  of  65  feet.  It  weighed 
134  pounds  II  ounces,  and  was  sold  to  the  bank  for 
$32,360.  This  nugget  was  shaped  like  a  leg  of  mutton, 
hence  its  name. 

The  largest  piece  of  gold  in  the  world  was  taken  from 


136  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Byer  &  Haltman's  gold  mining  claim,  Hill  End,  New 
South  Wales,  May  10,  1872.  Its  weight  was  640  pounds; 
height,  4  feet  9  inches ;  width,  3  feet  2  inches ;  average 
thickness,  4  inches;  worth  $148,000. 

Ahead  of  His  Time. 

On  leaving  Cambridge  University,  Harvey,  the  dis- 
coverer of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  went  to  Padua 
to  attend  the  lectures  of  a  professor  of  anatomy,  who 
taught  the  existence  of  valves  in  all  the  veins  of  the 
body.  It  was  in  trying  to  discover  the  use  of  such 
valves  that  Harvey  discovered  the  circulation  of  the 
blood.  He  found  that  by  placing  a  ligature  upon  an 
artery  it  became  distended  with  blood  on  the  side  near- 
est the  heart,  but  by  placing  one  upon  a  vein  it  became 
distended  on  the  side  furthest  from  the  heart,  whence 
he  proved  the  course  of  the  blood  from  the  heart  through 
the  arteries,  and  its  return  to  the  heart  by  the  veins. 
Harvey's  work  cost  him  twenty-six  years  to  bring  to 
maturity;  his  discovery  was  coldly  received;  most  per- 
sons opposed  it;  others  said  it  was  old,  while  very  few 
agreed  with  him.  To  an  intimate  friend  Harvey  com- 
plained, after  his  book  on  the  circulation  was  published, 
he  fell  considerably  in  his  practice,  and  it  was  believed 
by  the  vulgar  that  he  was  crack-brained,  or  what  in  these 
times  we  would  call  a  crank.  Twenty-five  years  elapsed 
after  the  publication  of  the  book  setting  forth  his  system 
before  it  was  received  in  all  the  colleges  and  universities 
of  the  world. 

In  Famous  Names. 

Did  you  ever  notice  how  common  to  great  names  the 
initial  "  W  "  is?  No.  Then  just  run  your  eye  over  the 
following  list : — William  Shakespeare,  Walter  Raleigh, 
William  Blackstone,  John  Wesley,  George  Whitefield, 
William  Penn,  Roger  Williams,  James  Watt,  William 
Wilberforce,  William  Cowper,  William  Wordsworth, 
Richard  Whately,  George  Washington,  Joseph  Warren, 
William  Pitt,  Wellington,  William  M.  Thackeray,  Win- 
field  Scott,  William  Henry  Harrison,  Daniel  Webster, 
Washington    Irving,    W.     E.     Channing,     William     H. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  137 

Seward,  Wendell  Phillips,  Henry  W.  Longfellow,  John 
G.  Whittier,  William  Cullen  Bryant,  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes,  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
Walt  Whitman,  W.  E.  Gladstone,  George  William  Cur- 
tis, William  E.  Evarts,  William  T.  Sherman,  and  others 
too  numerous  to  mention.  I  defy  any  one  to  produce 
an  equally  illustrious  list  of  names  with  any  one  of  the 
other  twenty-five  letters  of  the  alphabet  common  to  all. 

Air  in  Crowded  Booins. 

A  writer  in  The  Nineteenth  Century  says :  '*  Within 
doors  we  find  that  the  number  of  micro  organisms  sus- 
pended in  the  air  depends,  as  we  should  have  expected, 
upon  the  number  of  people  present,  and  the  amount  of 
disturbance  of  the  air  which  is  taking  place.  In  illustra- 
tion of  this  the  following  experiments,  made  at  one  of 
the  Royal  Society's  conversaziones,  held  at  Burlington 
House,  may  be  mentioned.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
evening,  when  a  number  of  persons  were  already 
present,  and  the  temperature  was  at  6y  degs.  Fahr.,  the 
two  gallons  of  air  examined  yielded  326  organisms; 
later  on,  as  the  rooms  became  densely  crowded,  as  in- 
dicated by  the  temperature  rising  to  72  degs.  Fahr.,  the 
number  reached  432.  The  next  morning,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  the  room  was  empty,  the  air  yielded  only 
130,  but  even  this  is  doubtless  in  excess  of  the  number 
which  would  be  present  in  the  room  in  question  under 
normal  conditions,  in  which,  judging  from  experience, 
I  should  expect  to  find  about  40  to  60  in  the  same 
volume  of  air." 

To  Increase  Lung  Power. 

Men  and  women  can  increase  their  lung  power — chest 
expansion  it  is  called  technically — by  five  minutes'  exer- 
cise morning  and  night.  Stand  up  straight  on  the  balls 
of  the  feet,  head  thrown  back,  and  inhale  deeply,  first 
inflating  the  lower  part  of  the  lungs  and  then  the  upper. 
Then  expire  slowly,  letting  the  che^  sink  first,  and 
then  the  lungs.  Do  this  fifteen  times  morning  and 
evening,  and  you'll  spend  less  money  on  colds  and 
catarrhs. 


138  CURIOUS  FACTS 

A  Curious  Funeral  Ceremony. 

One  curious  ceremony  still  survives,  and  has  puzzled 
the  learned.  When  a  Parsee  dies,  a  dog  (originally  a 
fox-eyed  dog  vi^as  demanded,  but  now  a  yellow  dog  with 
white  ears  is  orthodox)  is  brought  in  and  made  to  look 
upon  the  body.  What  the  significance  of,  this  is  the 
modern  Parsis  cannot  explain,  or  rather  they  offer  con- 
tradictory explanations. 

Perhaps  it  is  connected  with  the  Parsee  tradition  of 
the  dogs  of  Yima,  the  lord  of  death,  who  has  two  hounds 
which  go  through  the  earth  scenting  out  those  who  are 
marked  for  the  grave,  and  afterward  escort  their  souls 
to  the  place  of  judgment,  guarding  them  on  the  way 
from  the  evil  spirits.  Possibly  the  bringing  in  of  the 
dog  to  look  at  the  corpse  had  its  origin  in  the  idea  of 
securing  the  attention  of  the  dogs  of  Yima  to  the  just 
departed  spirit,  and  so  insuring  the  due  protection  of 
the  latter  on  its  last  perilous  journey. 

Laughter  as  a  Health  Promoter. 

In  his  "  Problem  of  Health,"  Dr.  Greene  says  that 
there  is  not  the  remotest  corner  or  little  inlet  of  the 
minute  blood  vessels  of  the  human  body  that  does  not 
feel  some  wavelet  from  the  convulsions  occasioned  by 
good  hearty  laughter.  The  life  principle,  or  the  central 
man,  is  shaken  to  its  innermost  depths,  sending  new 
tides  of  life  and  strength  to  the  surface,  thus  materially 
tending  to  insure  good  health  to  the  persons  who  in- 
dulge therein  The  blood  moves  more  rapidly,  and  con- 
veys a  different  impression  to  all  the  organs  of  the 
body,  as  it  visits  them  on  that  particular  mystic  journey 
when  the  man  is  laughing,  from  what  it  does  at  other 
times.  For  this  reason  every  good  hearty  laugh  in  which 
a  person  indulges  tends  to  lengthen  his  life,  conveying, 
as  it  does,  new  and  distinct  stimulus  to  the  vital  forces. 

Some  Old   Odd  Remedies. 
Aspen  leaves  used  to  be  considered  good  against  ague. 
Snails  boiled  in  barley  water  were  sovereign  for  an 
ordinary  cough. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  139 

Whooping  cough  could  be  cured  by  any  one  who  rides 
on  a  piebald  horse. 

The  heart-shaped  leaves  of  the  ordinary  wood  sorrel 
were  remedial  in  heart  disease. 

Turmeric,  on  account  of  its  deep  yellow  color,  was 
of  great  reputation  in  the  treatment  of  jaundice. 

Any  one  suffering  the  agonies  of  toothache  was  in- 
stantly relieved  by  merely  smelling  a  dead  man's  tooth. 

A  little  of  the  moss  growing  on  a  skull,  dried  well, 
reduced  to  powder,  and  used  as  snuff,  was  specific  for 
headache. 

Warts : — ''  Put  three  droppes  of  the  blood  of  a  wart 
into  an  eldern  leafe,  and  burie  it  in  the  earthe  and  the 
warts  will  vanish  away." 

The  powdered  flesh  of  a  mummy  was  of  sovereign 
power  in  physic,  especially  in  contusions,  where  it  pre- 
vented the  blood  from  settling  and  coagulating  at  the 
injured  part. 

The  flowers  of  the  lily  of  the  valley  being  closely 
stopped  up  in  glass,  put  into  an  ant  hill  and  taken  away 
again  a  month  later,  ye  shall  find  a  liquor  in  the  glass, 
which  being  outwardly  applied,  helpeth  gout. 

From  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  fine  comedy,  ''  The 
Knight  of  the  Burning  Pestle,"  we  learn  that  chilblains 
should  be  rubbed  well  with  a  mouse  skin,  or  the  suf- 
ferer should  roll  his  feet  and  ankles  in  hot  embers. 

Some  Things  we  Don't  Know. 

We  may  come  down  from  our  pedestal  for  a  little — 
there  are  still  two  or  three  things  that  we  don't  know. 
We  do  not  know,  for  instance,  how  many  of  our  kind 
there  are  on  this  globe.  It  is,  after  all,  but  a  very  small 
portion  of  the  world  that  we  know  anything  about,  and 
the  beaten  path  is  but  as  a  trail  on  a  mountain.  The 
interior  of  Newfoundland  is  a  terra  incognita;  there 
are  islands  in  the  Pacific  of  which  we  know  nothing 
more  than  that  they  exist ;  China  and  Thibet  are  largely 
closed  volumes,  and  about  many  other  portions  of  this 
world  there  is  as  much  guess  work  as  there  was  in  the 
days  of  Marco  Polo.  We  cannot  tell  why  of  two  ex- 
actly similar  bulbs  put  into  precisely  similar  soil  one 


140  CURIOUS  FACTS 

should  bloom  out  as  a  tulip  and  the  other  come  out  as 
an  onion.  We  do  not  know  how  the  flowers  receive 
their  color  or  perfume,  nor  why  it  is  that  while  we  can 
catch  the  shadow  in  the  camera  we  cannot  also  imprison 
the  color. 

There  are  many  things,  too,  for  which  we  have  not 
been  able  to  frame  laws.  We  cannot  agree  as  to  the 
cause  of  earthquakes,  the  origin  of  volcanic  fires,  or  the 
birth-throes  of  the  whirlwind.  We  do  not  even  know 
our  own  origin,  and  the  thinking  world  is  divided  be- 
tween evolution  and  creation.  We  do  not  know  even 
the  normal  color  of  man,  whether  we  are  bleached  from 
the  dark  original,  or  whether  the  dark  races  are  sun- 
burnt editions  of  the  early  whites.  Was  the  flood  local 
or  universal?  Did  Atlantis  exist?  Were  there  giants 
in  those  days?  These  are  a  few  of  the  many  questions 
that  might  be  asked  and  remain  unanswered. 

Various  ITicknames. 

In  nearly  every  occupation  the  capable  worker  has  a 
nickname  for  the  "  botch  "  in  the  same  profession,  and 
the  terms  are  used  in  reproach  to  make  distinction  be- 
tween the  good  and  the  bad  worker.  The  first-class 
lawyer,  whose  cranium  contains  more  dignity  than  law, 
is  termed  an  attorney  or  councillor,  while  the  ne'er-do- 
well  is  called  a  ''  shyster."  At  sea  an  incompetent  sailor 
is  called  a  **  marine ; "  on  land  the  third-rate  actor  is 
stigrnatized  as  a  "barnstormer"  or  '*  hamfatter;  "  the 
physician  who  never  cures  is  a   "  quack." 

Counting  Out  Rhymes. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  rhymes  used  b}' 
boys  to  decide  who  shall  take  the  first  innings  in  many 
games : — 

Ana,  mana,  mona,  mike; 

Barcelona,   bona,   strike, 

Care,  ware,  frow,  frack; 

Hallico,  balHco,  we,  wo  wack! 

This,  also,  is  subject  to  countless  variations;  "Barce- 
lona" becomes  "tuscatona,"  etc.    One  form  ends  in: 


CURIOUS  FACTS  141 

Huldy,-  guldy,   boo,   out  goes  you. 
Ana,  mana,  dipery  Dick; 
Delio,  dolio,  Dominick; 
Hitcha,  pitcha,  dominitcha, 
Hon,  pon,  tush. 

In  some  districts  the  third  line  is  given  as,  '^  Houtcha, 
poutcha,  dominoutcha,"  and  in  others,  ''  Hotcha,  potcha," 
etc.    "  Tush  "  may  also  become  "  tus  "  or  "  tusk." 

THE    COUNT   OUT. 

Haley,  maley,  tippety,  fig; 
Tiney,  toney,  tombo,  nig; 
Goat,  throat,  country  note; 
Tiney,  toney,  tig. 

Eatum,  peatum,  penny  pie, 
Babyloni,  stickum  stie. 
Stand  you  out  thereby. 

Besides  rhymes  of  the  character  of  the  above,  i.  e., 
consisting  of  a  mixture  of  gibberish  with  disconnected 
words,  there  are  many  rhymes  containing  no  uncouth 
words,  but  possessing  in  general  a  jingle  easily  recog- 
nizable. 

One,  two,  three, 

Nanny  caught  a  flea; 

The  flea    died   and    Nanny   cried; 

Out  goes  she! 

I,  2,   3,  4,  5,   6,   7,  8, 
Mary  at  the  cottage  gate, 
Eating  grapes  off  a  plate, 
I,  2,  3.  4,  5,  6,  7,  8. 

This  is  given  also,  "  plums "  in  place  of  "  grapes,'* 
and  *'  garden  gate  "  for  "  cottage  gate."  When  ''  cottage 
door "  ends  the  second  line  the  counting  stops  at 
**  four  "  to  satisfy  the  rhyme. 

Threads  Spun  by  the   Spider. 

The  scientist  Leuwenhock  says :  "  I  have  often  com- 
pared the  size  of  the  thread  spun  by  full  grown  spiders 
with  a  hair  of  my  beard.    For  this  purpose  I  placed  the 


142  CURIOUS  FACTS 

thickest  part  of  the  hair  before  the  microscope,  and 
from  the  most  accurate  judgment  I  could  form,  more 
than  a  hundred  of  such  threads  placed  side  by  side 
could  not  equal  the  diameter  of  one  such  hair.  If,  then, 
we  suppose  such  a  hair  to  be  of  a  round  form,  it  follows 
that  10,000  of  the  threads  spun  by  the  full  grown  spider, 
when  taken  together,  will  not  be  equal  in  substance  to 
the  size  of  a  single  hair." 

Cinder  in  the  Eye. 

Railroad  conductors  get  a  great  deal  of  medical  in- 
formation and  the  understanding  of  many  helpful  little 
schemes  in  the  course  of  a  long  year's  run.  Many  of 
the  conductors,  who,  among  the  many  other  ills  and 
ailings  of  their  passengers,  have  found  that  of  a  particle 
of  dirt  or  cinder  in  the  eye  to  be  the  most  frequent  and 
painful,  carry  with  them  a  supply  of  horse  hair.  Their 
experience  makes  them  experts  in  doubling  the  hair 
and  drawing  it  over  the  eye  while  the  lid  is  closed. 

Garnet  Ledges  in  Alaska. 

The  extensive  garnet  ledges  at  Fort  Wrangell  are  an 
inexhaustible  source  of  beautiful  and  ornamental  curi- 
osities. The  cropping  of  the  ledge  is  about  ten  feet 
wide,  standing  perpendicularly,  and  running  north-east 
and  southwest  several  miles  in  length;  the  depth  of  it 
no  man  has  ever  found  out.  The  rock  is  of  a  mica 
slate  formation,  and  contains  from  two  to  four  dozen 
garnets  to  the  cubic  foot.  The  gems  are  regular  poly- 
gons, beautiful  in  color,  and  when  fresh  from  the  mines 
have  a  dashing  and  brilliant  lustre;  but  when  exposed 
for  a  time  they  become  dull  and  opaque.  The  crystal 
varies  in  dimensions  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to  that  of 
a  hen's  tgg,  and  to  the  novice  are  quite  fascinating  and 
have  the  appearance  of  much  value  for  ornamental  and 
other  purposes. 

The  lapidaries,  however,  have  failed  to  utilize  them 
for  any  purpose  whatever,  except  as  a  curio  and  to 
demonstrate  the  certainty  of  the  unerring  law  of  nature 
which  governs  every  phenomenon.  Every  plane  of  the 
polygon  is  of  the  same  form;  every  angle  of  the  same 


CURIOUS  FACTS  143 

degree,  and  every  gem  is  the  equal  and  like  of  its  fellow. 
The  mining  and  shipment  of  this  rock  has  become  quite 
a  business.  It  is  worth  $20.00  per  ton  on  the  wharf  at 
Fort  Wrangell,  and  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  country 
to  fill  the  cabinets  of  the  wealthy  and  the  collections  in 
public  institutions. 

The  First  Deed  in  English. 

Deeds  in  England  were  formerly  written  in  Latin  or 
French;  the  earliest  known  instance  in  English  is  the 
indenture  between  the  Abbot  of  Whitby  and  Robert 
Bustard,  dated  at  York  in  1343. 

The  Power  of  Numhers. 

To  see  nine  magpies  is  extremely  unlucky. 

In  France  the  seventh  son  in  direct  succession  is 
called  a  marcou. 

Virgil  tells  us  in  the  eighth  eclogue,  that  the  gods 
esteem.ed  odd  numbers. 

The  seven  days  of  creation  led  to  a  septenary  division 
of  time  to  all  ages. 

There  were  seven  wise  men  in  antiquity,  and  seven 
wonders  of  the  world. 

Nine  grains  of  wheat,  laid  on  a  four-leaved  clover, 
enable  one  to  see  the  fairies. 

It  was  an  ancient  belief  that  a  change  in  the  body 
of  man  occurs  every  seventh  year. 

Falstaff  says :  *'  They  say  there  is  divinity  in  odd 
numbers,  either  by  nativity,  chance,  or  death." 

Nine  knots  made  in  a  black  woollen  thread  formerly 
served  as  a  charm  in  the  case  of  a  sprain. 

In  many  parts  of  England  and  in  the  United  States 
an  odd  number  of  eggs  is  put  under  a  setting  hen. 

The  number  three  was  the  perfect  number  of  the 
Pythagoreans,  who  said  it  represented  the  beginning, 
middle,  and  end. 

In  the  Ferve  Islands  there  is  a  superstition  that  seals 
cast  off  their  skins  every  ninth  month  and  assume  the 
human  shape. 

For  seven  days  seven  priests  with  seven  trumpets 
invested  Jericho,  and  on  the  seventh  day  they  encom- 
passed it  seven  times. 


144 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


Elisha  sent  Naaman  to  wash  in  the  Jordan  seven 
times,  and  Elijah  sent  his  servant  from  Mount  Carmel 
seven  times  to  look  for  rain. 

Miraculous  powers  are  supposed  to  be  possessed  by 
the  seventh  daughter,  but,  as  usual  in  the  case  of  women, 
it  is  an  occult  power. 

When  a  servant  maid  finds  nine  green  peas  in  one 
pod  she  lays  it  on  the  window  sill,  and  the  first  man 
who  enters  will  be  her  "  beau." 

Among  the  Chinese  heaven  is  odd,  earth  is  even,  and 
the  numbers  i,  3,  5,  7,  9  belong  to  heaven,  while  the 
even  digits  are  of  the  earth,   earthy. 

There  is  a  well  known  superstition,  current  since  the 
days  of  Ovid,  that  particular  virtue,  strength,  or  danger 
lies  in  the  ninth  wave  of  a  series. 

The  ancients  not  only  noted  the  importance  of  seven 
as  an  astronomical  period,  but  also  connected  with  the 
seven  planets  the  seven  metals  then  known. 

The  second  digit  acquired  an  especially  evil  reputa- 
tion among  the  early  Christians,  because  the  second 
day  hell  was  created,  along  with  heaven  and  earth. 

The  number  nine,  besides  being  regarded  as  a  lucky 
one,  is  possessed  of  mysterious  properties,  intensified 
from  its  being  the  product  of  three  times  three. 

The  Siamese  have  a  regard  for  odd  numbers,  and 
insist  on  having  an  odd  number  of  doors,  windows,  and 
rooms  in  their  houses,  and  that  all  staircases  must  have 
an  odd  number  of  steps. 

How  to  Tell  a  Person's  Age. 

Among  many  ingenious  schemes  for  telling  a  per- 
son's age  this  is  one  of  the  easiest  and  best.  Let  the 
person  whose  age  is  to  be  discovered  do  the  figuring. 
Suppose,  for  example,  if  it  is  a  girl,  that  her  age  is 
15,  and  that  she  was  born  in  August. 

Let  her  put  down  the  number  of  the  month  in  which 
she  was  born  and  proceed  as  follows: — 

Number  of  month  8 

Multiply  by  2   16 

Add   5    21 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I4S 

Multiply  by  50 .' 1050 

Then   add  her   age,    15    1065 

Then   subtract  365,   leaving    700 

Then  add  115   815 

She  then  announces  the  result,  815,  whereupon  she 
may  be  informed  that  her  age  is  15,  and  August,  or  the 
eighth  month,  is  the  month  of  her  birth. 

The  two  figures  to  the  right  in  the  result  will  always 
indicate  the  age  and  the  remaining  figure  or  figures 
the   month  the  birthday   comes   in. 

This  rule  never  fails  for  all  ages  up  to  100.  For 
ages  under  10  a  cipher  will  appear  prefixed  in  the 
result,  but  no  account  is  taken  of  this. 

Errors  of  History. 

William  Tell   was  a  myth. 

Coriolanus  never  allowed  his  mother  to  intercede  for 
Rome. 

Blondel,  the  harper,  did  not  discover  the  prison  in 
which  Richard  I.  was  confined. 

Alfred  never  allowed  the  cakes  to  burn,  nor  ventured 
into  the  Danish  camp  disguised  as  a  minstrel. 

Fair  Rosamond  was  not  poisoned  by  Queen  Eleanor, 
but  died  in  the  odor  of  sanctity  in  the  convent  of  God- 
stow. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  at  Waterloo  never  uttered 
the  famous  words,  ''  Up,  guards,  and  at  them !  " 

Charles  Kingsley  gave  up  his  chair  of  modern  history 
at  Oxford  because  he  said  he  considered  history  "  largely 
a  lie." 

Chemists  have  proved  that  vinegar  will  not  dissolve 
pearls  nor  cleave  rocks,  in  spite  of  the  fabled  exploits 
of  Cleopatra  and  Hannibal. 

Charles  IX.  did  not  fire  upon  the  Huguenots  with  an 
arquebus  from  the  window  of  the  Louvre  during  the 
massacre  of   St.   Bartholomew. 

The  siege  of  Troy  is  largely  a  myth,  even  according 
to  Homer's  own  account.  Helen  must  have  been  60 
years  old  when  Paris  fell  in  love  with  her. 

The  number  of  Xerxes'  army  has  been  grossly  ex- 


14$  CURIOUS  FACTS 

aggerated,  and  it  was  not  stopped  at  Thermopylae  by 
300  Spartans,  but  by  7,000,  or  even,  as  some  authors 
compute,  12,000. 

The  Abbe  Edgeworth  frankly  acknowledged  to  Lord 
Holland  that  he  had  never  made  the  famous  invocation 
to  Louis  XVL  on  the  scaffold :  "  Son  of  St.  Louis, 
ascend  to  heaven." 

Philip  VL,  flying  from  the  field  of  Crecy,  and  chal- 
lenged late  at  night  before  the  gates  of  the  castle  of 
Blois,  did  not  cry  out,  ''  It  is  the  fortune  of  France." 
What  he  really  said  was,  "  Open,  open ;  it  is  the  un- 
fortunate King  of  France." 

Voltaire,  on  being  asked  where  he  had  heard  the 
story  that  when  the  French  became  masters  of  Con- 
stantinople in  1204,  they  danced  with  the  women  in 
the  sanctuary  of  the  Church  of  Santa  Sophia,  replied, 
calmly:  "Nowhere;  it  is  a  frolic  of  my  imagination." 

There  is  no  evidence  that  Romulus  ever  lived,  that 
Tarquin  outraged  Lucretia,  that  Brutus  shammed  idiocy 
and  condemned  his  sons  to  death,  that  Mucins  Scaevola 
thrust  his  hand  into  the  fire,  that  Clcella  swam  the 
Tiber,  that  Horatio  defended  a  bridge  against  an  army. 

Six  Literary  Printers. 

Walt  Whitman  began  as  a  compositor. 

David  R.  Locke  (Petroleum  V.  Nasby)  was  at  one 
time  a  type  setter. 

Joaquin  Miller  says  that  he  got  his  first  idea  of 
writing  while  setting  type  in  California,  at  16  years  of 
age. 

Bret  Harte  began  setting  type  at  Eureka,  Cal.,  and 
afterward  pursued  the  same  business  in  San  Francisco. 

Samuel  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain)  got  his  start  by 
setting  type,  and  thinks  that  the  time  spent  at  it  has 
proved  of  great  advantage  to  him. 

One  of  the  last  men  you  would  suppose  to  have  been 
in  a  way  educated  at  the  case  is  Williarn  D.  Howells, 
and  yet  he  had  very  little  formal  instruction. 

Patron  Saints. 

St.  Joseph,  spouse  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  is  the 
patron  of  the  universal  church. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  147 

St.  Pancras,  patron  of  childhood. 

St.  Aloysius,  patron  of  youth,  purity,  and  students. 

St.    Agnes,   patron   of  maidens. 

St.   Monica,  patron  of  matrons. 

St.  Maxima,  patron  of  virgins  and  wives. 

St.  Vincent  de^  Paul,  patron  of  charities. 

St.  Cammillus  of  Lellis,  patron  of  hospitals. 

St.  Sabine,  invoked  against  gout  and  rheumatism. 

St,  Apollonia,  invoked  against  toothache. 

St.  Benedict  Joseph  Labre,  invoked  against  lightning. 

St.  Roch,  invoked  against  contagious  diseases. 

St.   Barbara,   invoked   for  the  last  sacrament. 

St.  Blase  prevents  and  cures  sore  throats. 

St.  Sebastian  is  the  patron  saint  of  soldiers. 

St.  Hubert  is  the  patron  of  hunters. 

St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  patron  of  schools. 

Why  a  Pump  Operates. 

No  pump  draws  water;  a  pump  can  no  more  lift 
water  than  it  can  lift  itself;  it  lifts  nothing  at  any 
time.  The  plunger  or  bucket  of  a  pump  displaces  the 
air  which  is  in  the  barrel  of  the  pump,  and  exhausts 
that  which  is  in  the  feed  or  water  pipe,  called  by  cus- 
tom the  suction  pipe — probably  because  it  doesn't  suck 
anything.  After  the  air  is  displaced  from  the  pipes  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere  pushes  the  water  to  fill  the 
vacuum.  The  pump  has  no  other  office  to  perform  than 
to  get  the  air  out  of  the  pipes. 

How  Water  Quenches  Fire. 

Now,  in  the  large  amount  of  heat  which  water  can 
take  up,  and  the  fact  that  ordinary  inflammables  must 
be  raised  to  a  high  temperature  in  order  to  burn,  we 
have  the  cause  of  water  putting  out  a  fire.  Put  a  burn- 
ing match  into  a  very  small  drop  of  water,  and  it  is 
extinguished,  because  of  the  very  large  amount  of  heat 
taken  from  the  match  in  reducing  the  water  to  steam, 
which  reduces  the  temperature  of  the  match  to  far  below 
212  degrees,  or  at  least  that  far,  if  there  is  water 
enough,  and  so  the  carbon  and  its  compounds  forming 
the  wood  will  no  longer  unite  with  the  oxygen  of  the 


148  CURIOUS  PACTS 

air.  For  the  same  reason  a  hot  iron  thrust  into  water 
is  cooled,  and  water  sprinked  on  the  floor  cools  the 
air,  the  heat  of  evaporation  in  the  latter  case  coming 
from  the  air  itself,  thus  cooling  it.  Now,  if  we  could 
find  a  fluid,  very  plentiful,  which  requires  much  more 
heat  than  water  to  make  it  boil,  evidently  we  could  put 
large  fires  out  much  more  readily. 

Humidity. 

The  atmosphere  is  the  gaseous  envelope  that  surrounds 
the  earth;  it  consists  of  oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  carbonic 
acid,  together  with  a  very  variable  quantity  of  watery 
vapor.  When  more  than  80  per  cent,  of  watery  vapor 
is  present,  the  atmosphere  is  saturated.  The  84  per 
cent,  of  humidity  or  wateriness  is  therefore  84  per  cent, 
of  what  the  atmosphere  can  carry;  that  is,  it  is  84  per 
cent,  of  a  possible  80  per  cent. 

Air  in  Water. 

The  phenomenon  of  air  in  water,  and  the  fact  that  in 
compressing  water  the  air  is  not  forced  out,  has  long 
been  an  interesting  subject  of  scientific  study,  the  simple 
explanation  being  that  water,  as  well  as  many  other 
liquids,  has  the  property  of  absorbing  various  gaseous 
substances  without  thereby  increasing  in  volume;  and 
far  from  reducing  the  capacity  of  the  liquid  to  absorb 
a  certain  gas,  the  application  of  pressure  increases  it, 
the  law  being  substantially  that  the  amount  of  gas  ab- 
sorbed increases  directly  as  the  pressure  increases,  and 
contrairiwise.  Thus,  if  water  at  ordinary  atmospheric 
pressure  will  absorb  one-fourth  of  its  volume  of  air,  at 
two  atmospheres  it  will  al  sorb  another  one-fourth,  at 
three  atmospheres  still  another  fourth,  and  so  on. 

The  capacity  of  water  thus  to  hold  large  volumes  of 
gaseous  substances  under  pressure  is  well  shown  in 
the  familiar  example  of  carbonated  waters.  These  are 
bottled  under  considerable  pressure,  the  gas  itself  fur- 
nishing, the  pressure,  in  order  that  they  shall  become 
charged  with  a  great  quantity  of  the  gas,  which,  being 
liberated  as  the  pressure  is  removed  by  drawing  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  149 

cork,  gives  rise  to  the  well  known  effervescence.  In 
absorbing  or  discharging  the  gas,  however,  there  is  no 
change  in  the  volume  of  the  liquid. 

The  Evil  Eye. 

Our  forefathers  believed  firmly  enough  in  the  evil  eye. 
As  far  back  as  we  are  able  to  pierce  through  the  obscur- 
ity of  antiquity  we  find  abundant  evidences  of  this 
strange  belief.  Chaldean  conjurations  against  the  power 
of  the  evil  eye  are  still  in  existence.  An  Assyrian  in- 
cantation of  the  seventh  century  b.  c.  against  a  sorcerer 
represents  the  glance  of  the  evil  eye  as  most  dangerous 
to  man.  Various  Egyptian  papri  refer  to  this  fatal 
power,  and  formulae  are  given  to  preserve  one  from 
its  effects.  Vedaic  hymns  recite  prayers  to  Aquia 
against  the  sorcerer,  with  his  baleful  glance,  and  there 
was  a  formula  in  an  old  Hindoo  marriage  ceremony  re 
cited  by  the  groom  against  the  possible  evil  effect  from 
the  glances  of  the  bride.  Among  the  curious  laws  gov- 
erning the  Brahmin  is  one  that,  in  satisfying  the  wants 
of  nature,  he  must  not  look  at  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  or 
planets,  nor  at  a  temple,  a  statue,  a  sacred  tree,  or  a 
cow,  for  his  glance  would  then  be  harmful  to  any  of 
these.  The  Persian  sacred  books  are  full  of  the  sub- 
ject. A  man  of  evil  life  is  here  deemed  able  to  arrest 
the  growth  of  plants  and  the  current  of  living  water, 
or  to  deaden  the  ripening  fruit. 

An  allusion  to  this  deadly  power  is  found  in  Ecclesi- 
astes.  Various  ancient  writers  give  accounts  of  people 
who  possessed  this  power  to  a  wonderful  extent.  The 
cases  of  Medea  and  of  the  Gorgons  will  recur  to  every 
one.  Pliny  speaks  especially  of  the  Scythian  and  Illyrian 
women.  Ovid,  Plutarch,  Horace,  Herodotus,  and  other 
classical  writers  frequently  allude  to  it.  St.  Mark  puts 
an  allusion  to  the  evil  eye  in  the  mouth  of  Christ,  and 
St.  Paul  alludes  to  it  in  the  epistle  to  the  Galatians. 
The  early  fathers  of  the  church  reason  much  about  it 
with  the  result  of  leaving  the  matter  in  great  confusion, 
but  none  of  thern  question  this  power.  They  usually 
ascribe  to  the  Deity  the  source  of  this  great  influence, 
but  later  writers  assign  it  to  the  malevolence  of  Satan. 


I50  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Superstitious  Bemedies. 

For  sore  eyes  a  touch  from  an  old  gold  wedding  ring 
is  a  popular  remedy,  and  many  an  old  woman's  ring  has 
earned  for  itself  a  great  name  as  an  eye  healer.  Ap- 
parently reliable  people  can  be  found  who  assert  that 
they  have  been  cured  by  a  touch  of  this  description. 
Borlase  asserts  as  a  fact  that  a  halter  with  which  any 
one  has  been  hanged  will  cure  headache  instantly  if 
tied  around  the  head,  and  he  adds,  "  Moss  growing 
upon  a  human  skull,  if  dried  and  powdered  and  taken 
as  snuff,  is  no  less  efficacious." 

Brand  tells  of  several  superstitious  remedies  or 
charms: — *' Hollow  stones  are  hung  up  in  stables  at 
night  to  prevent  nightmare  or  ephialtes.  They  are 
usually  called  in  the  north  of  England  *  holy  stones.' 
The  chips  of  gallows  and  places  of  execution  are  used 
as  amulets  against  agues.  For  warts  we  rub  our  hands 
before  the  moon,  and  commit  any  maculated  part  to 
the  touch  of  the  dead.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Shaw,  is  his 
history  of  the  '  Province  of  Moray,'  says  that  in  hectic 
or  consumptive  diseases  they  pare  the  nails  of  the 
fingers  and  toes  of  the  patients,  put  these  parings  into 
a  rag  cut  from  his  clothes,  then  wave  the  hand  with 
the  rag  thrice  round  the  head  crying  *  Deas  Soil/ 
After  this  they  bury  the  rag  in  some  unknown  place. 
He  tells  us  he  has  seen  this  done,  and  Pliny,  in  his 
*  Natural  History,'  mentions  it  as  practised  by  the  ma- 
gicians or  Druids  of  his  time." 

A  Brief  History  of  Thimbles. 

The  thimble  was  originally  called  a  thumb  bell  by  the 
English,  because  worn  on  the  thumb,  then  a  thumble, 
and  finally  its  present  name.  It  was  a  Dutch  invention, 
and  was  first  brought  to  England  in  1695.  Thimbles 
were  formerly  made  only  of  iron  and  brass,  but  in 
comparatively  late  years  they  have  been  made  of  gold, 
steel,  horn,  ivory,  and  even  glass  and  pearl.  In  China 
beautiful  carved  pearl  thimbles  are  seen,  bound  with 
gold,  and  with  the  end  of  gold.  The  first  thimble  in- 
troduced into  Siam  was  a  bridal  gift  from  the  king 
to  the  queen;  it  is  shaped  like  a  lotus  bud,  made  of 


CURIOUS  FACTSi  151 

gold,  and  thickly  studded  with  diamonds  arranged  to 
spell  the  queen's  name. 

The  Glorious  Apple  Tree. 

Men  will  journey  a  long  distance,  women  will  go 
into  ecstasies,  adjectives  will  be  worn  into  shreds,  and 
crowds  will  push  and  jostle  to  see  a  century  plant  in 
full  bloom.  If,  now,  a  good,  healthy,  honest  old  apple 
tree  would  bloom  but  once  in  a  hundred  years,  the  cen- 
tury plant  would  be  utterly  forgotten.  The  overwhelm- 
ing beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  tree  would  infinitely 
surpass  the  odorless  glories  of  the  plant.  Ten  thousand 
lovely  flowers  on  a  single  stalk,  a  mass  of  perfume, 
and  a  fabric  of  delicate  beauty  wherein  the  tint  of  a 
thousand  sea  shells  is  seen!  And  yet,  by  reason  of  its 
commonness,  the  apple  tree  in  full  bloom  receives  small 
tribute  of  praise  and  appreciation. 

Hindoo   Superstitions. 

Rising  in  the  morning  while  but  half  awake,  the 
Hindoo  repeats   the   name   of   Rama   several   times. 

If  a  Hindoo  happens  to  yawn  he  immediately  fillips 
his  thumb  and  middle  finger,  though  he  does  not  know 
why. 

Some  are  so  superstitious  that  if  any  evil  portent 
occurs  on  the  way  they  would  return  home,  have  a 
smoke,  or  chew  a  betel  leaf,  and  proceed  afresh. 

If  a  fox  crosses  his  path,  if  he  hears  a  gong  or  shell 
summoning  him  to  worship,  or  if  he  meets  a  Brahmin 
with  his  head  uncovered,  he  would  rejoice,  hailing  it  as 
auspicious. 

Should  one  sneeze,  or  should  he  hear  the  cawing  of  a 
crow,  or  the  cry  of  a  kite,  or  should  he  meet  an  old  man, 
or  one  blind  or  lame,  or  see  a  cat  cross  his  path,  he 
would  be  greatly  distressed  as  to  the  day  before  him. 

Bengal   Superstitions. 

Shouting  the  name  of  the  king  of  birds  (Garuda) 
drives  away  snakes.  Shouting  Ram,  Ram,  drives  away 
ghosts.  Cholera  that  attacks  on  Monday  or  Saturday 
ends  fatally,  but  not  cholera  that   attacks  on   Thurs- 


15^  CURIOUS  PACTS 

day.  The  flowering  o£  bamboos  augurs  famine.  In 
fanning,  if  the  fan  strikes  the  body  it  should  be  thrice 
knocked  against  the  ground.  When  givmg  alms  the 
giver  and  receiver  should  not  be  standing  on  different 
sides  of  the  threshold.  It  is  bad  to  pick  one's  teeth 
with  one's  nails.  If  a  snake  is  killed,  it  should  be 
burned,  for  it  is  a  brahman.  At  night  the  words 
"snake"  and  ''tiger"  should  not  be  used;  call  them 
creepers  and  insects.  Do  not  wake  up  a  sleeping  phy- 
sician. A  morning  dream  always  comes  to  pass.  De- 
votion without  head  gear  is  wrong.  Iron  is  a  charm 
against  ghosts.  A  black  cat  with  a  white  face  is  very 
auspicious. 

Some  Mexican  Superstitions. 
It  is  believed  that  the  murderer  who  has  slain  his 
victim  with  sword  or  dagger  will  escape  if  the  body 
falls  upon  its  side  or  back;  but  if  the  body  falls  face 
downward,  then  the  murderer  surely  soon  will  be  cap- 
tured and  put  to  death.  This  belief  is  said  to  be  so 
firmly  rooted  among  the  people  of  north-eastern  Mexico 
that  when  a  murdered  man  falls  upon  his  face  his  slayer 
makes  no  effort  to  escape,  and  even  sometimes  volun- 
tarily surrenders  himself  to  justice.  If  a  bride,  while 
dressing  for  her  wedding,  is  pricked  by  a  pin  so  that 
blood  flows,  great  misfortune  impends.  If  two  people 
think  of  the  same  thing  at  the  same  time,  a  soul  is  loosed 
from  purgatory. 

The  Horse-shoe  Superstition. 

The  belief  in  the  horse-shoe  attained  its  greatest  dif- 
fusion at  the  end  of  the  last  century  and  the  beginning 
of  this.  Aubrey,  in  his  ''  Miscellanies,"  tells  us  that  in 
his  time  most  houses  in  the  west  end  of  London  had 
a  horse-shoe  nailed  over  the  threshold.  In  1813  Sir 
Henry  Ellis  counted  seventeen  horse-shoes  in  Mon- 
mouth Street,  but  in  1841  only  five  or  six  remained. 
Lord  Nelson  nailed  a  horse-shoe  to  the  mast  of  the 
Victory,  and  "  Lucky  Dr.  James "  attributed  the  suc- 
cess of  his  fever  powders  to  the  finding  of  a  horse- shoe, 
which  symbol  he  adopted  as  a  crest  for  his  carriage. 


CURIOUS  FACTS:  153 

Inherited  Propensities. 

Primitive  man — our  early  ancestors — lived  almost  ex- 
clusively by  hunting  and  fishing,  and  the  passion  for 
this  sport  was  inherited  from  them.  What  is  at  first  a 
necessity  at  length  becomes  a  pleasure.  The  man  who 
goes  into  business  in  order  to  maintain  himself  and 
family  continues  it  after  he  is  beyond  the  reach  of  want 
because  habit  has  made  it  a  pleasure  to  him.  He  will 
even  deny  himself  needed  rest  and  recreation  because 
he  is  not  contented  when  away  from  his  business.  The 
wild  beast  in  a  menagerie,  although  born  in  captivity, 
will  pace  restlessly  up  and  down  its  cage,  imitating  the 
actions  of  its  ancestors  while  running  the  plains  in 
search  of  its  prey.  Although  food  is  supplied  in  abun- 
dance, it  continues  to  walk  rapidly  and  look  cautiously 
about,  as  did  its  great-grandparents  when  impelled  by 
hunger  to  prowl  about  the  jungle  in  search  of  food. 

The  hog,  no  matter  how  well  fed,  continues  to  root 
as  though  life  depended  upon  it,  as  was  the  case  with 
its  untamed  ancestors.  The  beaver,  when  in  captivity, 
will  pursue  its  passion  for  building,  and  so  on  through- 
out the  whole  animal  kingdom. 

Ducks  in  China. 

It  is  stated  that  there  are  more  ducks  in  China  than 
all  the  world  outside  of  it.  They  are  kept  on  every 
farm,  on  the  private  roads,  and  on  all  the  lakes,  rivers, 
and  small  streams.  There  are  many  boats  on  each  of 
which  as  many  as  2,000  are  kept.  Their  eggs  constitute 
one  of  the  most  important  articles  of  food.  They  are 
hatched  in  establishments  fitted  up  for  the  purpose. 
Some  of  them  turn  out  as  many  as  50,000  young  ducks 
every  year.  Salted  and  smoked  ducks  are  sold  in  all 
the  towns,  and  many  of  them  are  exported  to  countries 
where  Chinamen  reside. 

The  HornbilPs  Defences. 

A  traveler  in  South  America  writes:  We  passed  the 
nests  of  several  hornbill  birds.  When  they  are  ready 
to  lay,  the  nest  is  made  in  a  hollow  tree;  the  female 
goes  within,  leaving  her  whole   immense  bill  sticking 


154  CURIOUS  FACTSi 

out,  and  tlie  male  plasters  the  hole  round  it  up  with 
mud,  that  hardens  at  once;  she  lays  her  eggs  and 
sits  on  them  until  they  are  hatched,  the  male  feeding 
her  all  the  time.  The  monkeys  and  snakes  looking  for 
eggs  see  this  formidable  looking  beak  sticking  out  of 
the  hole  and  are  afraid  to  tackle  it,  so  she  hatches  in 
peace.  The  poor  male  in  feeding  her  gets  so  poor 
that  he  can  hardly  fly. 

Difference  in  Eggs. 

In  form  and  general  aspect  the  differencj  among 
birds'  eggs  is  endless.  Some  are  elongated,  some  are 
spherical,  some  are  dull  on  the  c  rface,  some  are 
polished,  some  are  dark  and  others  gray  or  white,  others 
very  bright.  The  shape  of  eggs  offers  as  much  diversity 
as  their  size  and  weight.  They  may  be  thrown,  how- 
ever, into  six  different  or  typical  f orris — the  cylindrical, 
the  oval,  the  spherical,  the  ovicular,  oviccnical  and  the 
elliptic.  The  ovicular  form  of  eggs  belongs  to  the 
Passerse  and  Galliacae,  the  ovoid  to  the  rapacious  birds 
and  the  Palmipedes,  the  conical  to  the  wading  birds 
and  some  Palmipedes,  the  short  to  some  game  and  many 
stilted  birds,  and  the  spherical  to  nocturnal  birds  of 
prey  and  the  kingfisher. 

If  a  farmer  has  a  flock  of  one  hundred  hens  they  pro- 
duce in  egg-shells  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
pounds  of  chalk  annually;  and  yet  not  a  pound  of  the 
substance,  or,  perhaps,  not  even  an  ounce,  exists  around 
the  farm  house  within  the  circuit  of  their  feeding 
grounds.  The  materials  of  its  manufacture  are  found 
in  the  food  consumed  and  in  the  sand,  pebble  stones, 
brick  dust,  bits  of  bones,  etc.,  which  hens  and  other 
birds  are  continually  picking  from  the  earth. 

The  Bamboo  Tree. 

The  bamboo  tree  does  not  blossom  until  it  attains 
its  thirtieth  year,  when  it  produces  seed  profusely  and 
then  dies.  It  is  said  that  a  famine  was  prevented  in 
India  in  1812  by  the  sudden  flowering  of  the  bamboo 
trees,  when  50,000  people  resorted  to  the  jungles  to 
gather  the  seed  for  food. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  i^$ 

Oysters  in  Antiquity. 

Raw  oysters  were  eaten  at  Athens  and  Rome  as  a 
preprandial  whet.  The  Romans  coated  their  oysters 
with  honey,  and  kept  them  until  they  were  sHghtly 
putrid.  The  simple  and  clumsy  methods  of  Apicius,  the 
third  celebrated  glutton  of  the  name,  for  preserving 
oysters,  was  to  wash  them  in  vinegar  and  pack  them  in 
vessels  coated  with  pitch.  The  oysters  thus  prepared 
and  sent  from  Britain  to  the  Emperor  Trajan,  when  in 
Parthia,  were  considered  "  fresh,"  and  have  been  suf- 
ficient to  entitle  this  man's  name  to  be  handed  down 
through  twenty  centuries.  If  he  is  to  be  deemed 
famous  in  direct  proportion  to  the  nastiness  of  his  in- 
vention, he  should  be  famous  indeed.  Brillat  Savarin's 
preprandial  whet  consisted  of  three  or  four  dozen 
oysters.  Sieur  Laperte,  whom  he  used  to  entertain 
tete-a-tete  at  dinner,  is  said  to  have  complained  be- 
cause he  could  not  get  his  fill  of  oysters.  Savarin  de- 
termined to  give  him  satisfaction  in  this  respect,  and 
let  him  go  to  his  thirty-second  dozen,  when  Laperte 
turned  his  attention  to  the  dinner  with  powers  unem- 
barrassed by  his  prelude. 

Egyptian  Cats. 

The  Egyptians  are  the  first  people  among  whom  we 
find  notices  of  the  cat.  It  figures  largely  upon  the 
monuments  as  a  domestic  pet,  and  was  honored  when 
dead.  Comical  stories  are  told  by  Herodotus  of  the 
anxiety  to  save  the  cats  when  a  house  took  fire,  and  of 
the  grief  when  one  died.  The  cat  seemed  to  have  served 
as  a  retriever  in  fowling  expeditions,  and  even  in  fish- 
ing. It  seems  strange  that  no  mention  of  the  cat  occurs 
in  the  Bible  or  in  any  Assyrian  record.  Even  in  India, 
Professor  Max  Muller  is  reported  as  saying  that  it  was 
but  recently  known  as  a  domestic  animal.  Its  Sanskrit 
name  is  marjara,  from  a  root  meaning  to  clean,  from 
the  creature's  habit  of  licking  herself  at  her  toilet.  Her 
mousing  habits  were  well  known  to  the  Romans,  and 
even  to  the  Etruscans,  as  shown  by  antique  gems  and 
even  wall  paintings.  The  mouse  killer  domesticated 
among  the  Greeks,  called  gale,  described  by  Aristotle, 


156  CURIOUS  FACTS 

and  humorously  referred  to  by  Aristophanes  in  the 
"  Peace,'*  has  been  shown  by  Professor  Rolleston  to 
have  been  the  English  white  breasted  marten.  Besides 
the  cat,  the  Egyptians  domesticated  the  ichneumon, 
popularly  known  as  Pharaoh's  rat,  which  is  still  to  be 
seen  in  the  houses  at  Cairo. 

Animals  that  See  Both  Ways. 

Nature  has  enabled  some  animals  to  see  objects  be- 
hind them  as  well  as  in  front  without  turning  round. 
In  insects  this  is  noticeably  true.  Approach  a  fly  ever 
so  carefully  from  behind  and  notice  how  it  sees  your 
movements. 

The  hare  has  this  power  in  a  marked  degree.  Its 
eyes  are  large,  prominent,  and  placed  laterally,  its  power 
of  seeing  things  in  the  rear  is  very  noticeable  in  grey- 
hound coursing,  for  though  this  dog  is  mute  while 
running,  the  hare  is  able  to  judge  to  a  nicety  the  exact 
moment  at  which  it  will  be  best   for  it  to  double. 

Horses  are  another  instance.  It  is  only  necessary  to 
watch  a  horse  driven  invariably  without  blinkers  to 
notice  this.  Take,  for  instance,  those  on  the  horsecar 
lines.  Let  the  driver  even  attempt  to  take  the  whip  in 
hand,  and  if  the  horse  is  used  to  the  work  he  will  at 
once  increase  his  pace. 

The  giraffe,  which  is  a  very  timid  animal,  is  ap- 
proached with  the  utmost  difficulty,  on  account  of  its 
eyes  being  so  placed  that  it  can  see  as  well  behind  as 
in  front. 

Thick   Skinned   Animals. 

The  whale,  which  belongs  to  the  mammalia,  no  doubt 
holds  the  palm  for  thickness  of  skin.  At  some  parts 
of  its  body  the  skin  is  only  two  inches  thick,  but  in 
many  places  its  pelt  is  fully  two  feet  in  thickness.  The 
skin  of  the  whale  is  the  substance  usually  known  as 
blubber,  and  in  a  large  specimen  will  weigh  altogether 
m.ore  than  thirty  tons.  The  distinction  of  being  the 
thickest  skinned  quadruped  belongs  to  the  Indian 
rhinoceros,  whose  hide  has  a  knotty  or  granulated  sur- 
face, and  is  so  impenetrable  as  to  resist  the  claws  of 
the  lion  or  tiger,  the  sword,  or  the  balls  of  the  old 


CURIOUS  FACTS  157 

fashioned  mu'sket.  So  stiff  and  hard  is  this  skin,  that 
were  it  not  divided  by  creases  or  folds,  the  animal 
imprisoned  in  its  armor  could  scarcely  move.  It  is 
manufactured  into  leather  of  great  strength  and  dura- 
bility, and  targets  and  shields  are  made  of  it  that  are 
absolutely  proof  against  darts  ©r  sword  strokes.  The 
skin  of  the  hippopotamus  runs  that  of  the  rhinoceros 
very  closely  as  regards  thickness.  When  dried  it  is 
also  used  for  shields,  which  are  highly  prized  by  the 
natives. 

Every  Animal  its  own  Doctor. 

Animals  get  rid  of  their  parasites  by  using  dust,  mud, 
clay,  etc.  Those  suffering  from  fever  drink  water,  and 
sometimes  plunge  into  it.  When  a  dog  has  lost  its 
appetite  it  eats  that  species  of  grass  known  as  dog's 
grass,  which  acts  as  an  emetic  and  a  purgative.  Cats 
also  eat  grass.  Sheep  and  cows,  when  ill,  seek  out  cer- 
tain herbs.  An  animal  suffering  from  chronic  rheu- 
matism always  keeps  as  far  as  possible  in  the  sun. 
The  warrior  ants  have  regularly  organized  ambulances. 
Latreille  cut  the  antennae  of  the  ant,  and  other  ants 
came  and  covered  the  wounded  part  with  a  transparent 
fluid  secreted  in  their  mouths. 

If  a  chimpanzee  is  wounded,  it  stops  the  bleeding  by 
placing  its  hand  on  the  wound  or  dressing  it  with 
leaves  and  grass.  When  an  animal  has  a  wounded  leg 
or  arm  hanging  on  it  completes  the  amputation  by 
means  of  its  teeth.  A  dog  on  being  stung  on  the  muzzle 
by  a  viper  was  observed  to  plunge  its  head  repeatedly 
for  several  days  into  running  water.  This  animal 
eventually  recovered.  A  terrier  hurt  its  right  eye.  It 
remained  under  a  counter,  avoiding  light  and  heat,  al- 
though it  habitually  kept  close  to  the  fire.  It  adopted 
a  general  treatment  of  rest  and  abstinence  from  food. 
The  local  treatment  consisted  in  licking  the  upper  sur- 
face of  the  paw,  which  it  applied  to  the  wounded  eye, 
again  licking  the  paw  when  it  became  dry. 

A  Blooded  Bacer's  Pluck. 

A  blooded  racer  possesses  one  essential  quality  that 
scrub  horses  seldom  have— pluck.    You  will  find  many 


15$  'CURIOUS  FACTS 

common  horses  that  possess  fine  points,  so  far  as  wind, 
muscle,  and  structure  are  concerned;  but  in  a  race  they 
will  nearly  always  throw  up  their  tails  and  give  up  in 
disgust  if  passed  by  an  adversary,  or  if  they  feel  they 
can't  win.  All  blooded  animals  do  not  possess  pluck, 
however,  and  such  as  are  lacking  in  this  quality  are 
more  fit  for  the  plow  than  the  track. 

Long  Tailed  Sheep. 

There  are  no  species  of  sheep  indigenous  to  Australia. 
The  fat  tailed  sheep  is  found  in  Asia  and  Africa,  in 
Syria,  India,  and  China,  also  in  Barbary,  and  such  large 
numbers  are  raised  in  the  colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  that  it  is  often  known  as  the  Hottentot  sheep. 
This  sheep  is  of  small  size,  with  soft  and  short  wool. 
Its  peculiar  characteristic  is  the  enormous  development 
of  the  tail,  by  the  growth  of  a  large  mass  of  fat  on 
each  side  of  the  lower  part  of  this  appendage.  This  is 
sometimes  so  great  that  the  tail  alone  has  been  known 
to  weigh  seventy  pounds  or  more.  This  tail  is  esteemed 
a  great  delicacy  for  food,  and  to  protect  it  from  being 
injured  by  being  dragged  on  the  ground,  the  shepherd 
often  places  it  upon  a  board  or  small  truck  with  wheels, 
which  is  attached  by  a  light  string  harness  to  the  body 
of  the  animal. 

A  Jewel  in  a  Serpent's  Head. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  Shakespeare's  toad, 

"  Ugly  and  venomous. 
Wears  yet  a  precious  jewel  in  his  head;" 

but  there  is  a  belief  current  in  all  parts  of  India  that 
a  certain  variety  of  snakes  called  Shesh  Nag,  when  it 
attairis  the  age  of  i,ooo  years,  has  a  precious  jewel 
formed  in  its  head.  This  jewel,  it  is  affirmed,  possesses 
the  quality  of  sucking  up  the  poison  of  the  deadliest 
snake,  if  applied  to  the  wounded  part.  Strangely  enough, 
a  Parsee  gentleman  is  reputed  to  possess  this  invalu- 
able jewel,  according  to  a  correspondent  of  a  Gujarati 
weekly  published  at  Wadhan,  in  Gujarat. 

The  correspondent  says  that  when  the  present  owner 
— who,  by  the  way,  is  now  sixty-three — was  twenty-three 


CURIOUS  FACTS^  159 

years  old,  he  lighted  upon  a  snake  of  the  above  men- 
tioned variety,  which  he  killed.  Then  he  found  the  jewel 
in  his  head.  It  has  already  saved  several  lives.  Last 
year,  when  Mr.  Vidal,  the  Collector  of  the  district,  was 
there  it  was  shown  to  him  too.  The  jewel  is  said  to 
contain  a  thin,  crescent-like  fibre,  which  unceasingly 
oscillates  in  the  centre.  His  Highness  the  Gaikwar  of 
Baroda,  His  Highness  the  Maharajah  of  Kolhapur,  and 
several  other  native  princes,  are  said  to  have  offered 
several  hundred  thousand  rupees  for  this  unique  jewel. 
The  name  of  the  owner  is  Mr.  Framji  Dadabhal  Goye- 
kar,  Tarapur,  Bombay  Presidency. — Notes  and  Queries, 

Hunting  Rattlesnakes. 

In  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  and  Sullivan  County,  New 
York,  the  rattlesnake  is  hunted  every  summer  for  his 
oil,  which  sometimes  fetches  $2.00  an  ounce.  Here  is 
a  description  of  the  way  the  serpent  is  caught. 

"  Choosing  a  hot  smTimer  day,  the  rattlesnake  hunters 
saunter  forth.  One  man  carries  a  fishpole,  another  a 
sharp  scythe.  The  fishpole  has  a  stout  wire  attached 
to  it,  and  there  is  an  ordinary  pickerel  hook  on  the  end 
of  the  wire.  Moving  cautiously  through  the  grass,  so  as 
not  to  disturb  the  sleeping  snake,  who  is  almost  always 
found  basking  in  the  warm  sun  near  a  loose  ledge  of 
rock,  one  of  the  men  prods  his  snakeship  more  or  less 
gently  with  the  fishpole,  being  careful  also  to  hold  the 
hook  invitingly  near  to  the  rattler's  head.  The  snake 
wakes  up  angry,  makes  a  dart  at  the  nearest  irritating 
object,  which  is  the  fishhook,  and  very  accommodatingly 
allows  the  sharp  times  to  penetrate  his  jaws.  The  man 
with  the  fishpole  holds  the  entrapped  rattlesnake  at  a 
safe  distance,  while  his  comrade  moves  up  and  severs 
the  snake's  head  from  his  body.  The  body  is  then 
deposited  in  a  bag,  and  the  hunters  go  in  search  of  an- 
other snake." 

The   Egyptian   Cobra. 

The  Egyptian  cobra  is  unlike  the  Asiatic  species, 
wanting  the  curious,  spectacle-like  mark  that  dis- 
tinguishes the  latter.  It  is  of  a  somewhat  dark  and 
greenish  hue,   marked  with    brown,    and    attaining  9 


l6o  CURIOUS  FACTS 

length  of  from  three  to  five  feet.  The  Egyptian  con- 
jurors know  how  to  render  this  serpent  stiff  and  im- 
movable by  pressing  the  nape  of  the  neck  with  the 
finger  and  throwing  it  into  a  sort  of  catalepsy.  The 
serpent  is  thus  apparently  converted  into  a  rod  or  a 
stick. 

Odd  Things   on  the  Head. 

In  Norway  a  high  hat,  shaped  something  like  a 
flower  pot,  is  worn,  and  the  Cossack  wears  a  hat  like 
a  stovepipe,  without  a  brim. 

To-day  among  the  Swiss  a  hat  is  worn  similar  in 
form  to  the  old  Puritan  hat.  It,  however,  is  often  orna- 
mented with   gay   colored  ribbons  about  it. 

The  marabout,  or  black  priest  of  Mohammed,  who 
wanders  among  the  African  tribes,  wears  upon  his  sable 
head  a  white  cap  and  fez,  such  as  he  expects  to  wear 
in  Paradise. 

In  Mohammedan  countries  the  turban  is  found.  Some 
of  these  are  scarfs  wrapped  and  twisted  about  the  head. 
Others  are  combinations  of  scarf  and  fez,  with  a  button 
and  tassel. 

When  stovepipe  hats  were  first  introduced  among 
Indians  they  usually  punched  the  top  out  of  them  the 
first  thing  for  the  sake  of  ventilation,  as  they  did  not 
care  to  have  their  heads  hot. 

An  African  hat  is  in  the  form  of  a  helmet,  woven  of 
rushes  or  straw,  having  a  peak  on  top  and  a  mask  or 
visor  extending  down  over  the  face.  There  are  two 
holes  or  goggles  for  the  eyes. 

The  Chinese  mandarins  and  men  of  consequence  wear 
little  round  silk  skull  caps  most  of  the  time.  These 
are  ornamented  on  the  top  with  buttons  whose  colors 
denote  the  order  or  rank  of  the  wearer. 

A  singular  Corean  hat  is  a  great  round  mat  of  straw 
w^orn  by  a  mourner.  This  goes  with  a  costume  of 
coarse  cloth.  The  hat  is  bound  down  at  the  sides  so  as 
almost  to  conceal  the  head  and  face  of  the  wearer.  He 
carries  in  his  hand  a  screen  or  fan,  and  when  in  the 
road  any  one  approaches  him  he  holds  the  screen  in 
front  of  him  so  that  it,  together  with  the  hat,  com- 
pletely conceals  him. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  l6l 

History  of  a  Horse-shoe. 

The  Lcfthanded  Club  of  Houston,  Tex.,  has  hanging 
over  one  of  the  doors  of  its  house  a  horse-shoe,  or 
rather  a  mule-shoe,  with  a  history.  One  day  ten  years 
ago,  at  Pass  Cavallo,  a  mule  waded  out  into  deep 
water.  First  he  knew,  one  of  his  hind  legs  disappeared 
in  the  big  mouth  of  a  passing  shark.  A  few  days  after- 
wards the  shark  was  caught  by  the  crew  of  the  state 
quarantine  schooner,  and  the  leg  of  the  mule  was  found 
in  the  interior  of  the  big  fish.  The  shoe  was  taken 
from  the  hoof,  and  now  keeps  off  the  witches  in  the 
home  of  the  before  mentioned  Lefthanded  Club. 

Barometric    Bells. 

To  inhabitants  of  Lebbeke,  Belgium,  the  hearing  of 
certain  small  bells,  four  or  five  miles  away,  is  a  certain 
indication  of  rain.  One  bell,  about  six  miles  distant, 
is  heard  twice  a  year — In  March  or  April  and  in  Sep- 
tember or  October — and  always  during  the  same  at- 
mospheric commotions.  M.  de  Ridder  finds  that  not 
only  does  moisture  favor  the  transmission  of  sound,  but 
that  contrary  winds  are  not  always  an  obstacle. 

An  Ancient  Chair. 

What  is  probably  the  most  venerable  piece  of  fur- 
niture in  existence  is  deposited  in  the  British  museum. 
It  is  the  throne  of  Queen  Hatasu,  who  reigned  in  the 
Nile  valley  some  i,6oo  years  before  Christ  and  twenty- 
nine  years  before  Moses.  This  nov/  dilapidated  object 
seems  to  be  of  lignum  vitae,  the  carving  of  the  legs 
being  inlaid  with  gold,  and  those  of  the  back  with  silver. 

A  Certain  Sign  of  Death. 

M.  Lessenne,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Societe  Medicale 
d^Amiens,  indicated  a  certain  sign  of  death,  simple  and 
trustworthy.  After  pricking  the  skin  with  a  needle 
the  puncture  remains  open,  just  as  when  a  piece  of 
leather  is  pricked.  On  the  living  body,  even  if  the  blood 
does  not  come  to  the  surface,  as  would  happen  if  the 
person  was  hysterical,  the  pin-prick  closes  at  once,  and 
does  not  leave  the  slightest  trace. 


l62  CURIOUS  FACTS 

When  to   Give  Medicicesf* 

Iodine  or  the  iodides  should  be  given  Oft  an  ettipty 
stomach.  If  given  during  digestion  the  acids  and  starch 
alter  and  weaken  their  action.  Acids,  as  a  rule,  should 
be  given  between  meals.  Acids  given  before  meals  check 
the  excessive  secretion  of  the  acids  of  the  gastric  juice. 
Irritating  and  poisonous  drugs,  such  as  salts  of  arsenic, 
copper,  zinc,  and  iron,  should  be  given  directly  after 
meals.  Oxide  and  nitrate  of  silver  should  be  given 
after  the  process  of  digestion  is  ended;  if  given  during 
or  close  after  meals  the  chemicals  destroy  or  impair 
their  action.  Potassium  permanganate,  also,  should  not 
be  given  until  the  process  of  digestion  is  ended,  inas- 
much as  organic  matter  decomposes  it  and  renders  it 
inert.  The  active  principle  of  the  gastric  juice  is  im- 
paired and  rendered  inert  by  corrosive  sublimate,  tannin, 
and  pure  alcohol;  hence  they  should  be  given  at  the 
close  of  digestion.  Malt  extracts,  cod  liver  oil,  the 
phosphates,  etc.,  should  be  given  with  or  directly  after 
food. 

How  to  Prolong  Life. 

Activity,  without  overwork,  healthful  living,  modera- 
tion, self-control,  the  due  exercise  of  all  the  faculties, 
the  cultivation  of  the  reason,  the  judgment,  and  the 
will,  the  nurture  of  kindly  feelings,  and  the  practice  of 
doing  good — all  things,  in  fact,  which  tend  to  build  up 
a  noble  manhood — also  prepare  the  way  to  a  long  life 
and  a  happy  and  blessed  old  age. 

Longevity  of  Insects. 

Sir  John  Lubbock  has  shown  how  long  insects  may 
live  when  kept  out  of  harm's  way.  The  greatest  age 
attained  by  any  insect,  so  far  as  is  known,  is  that  reached 
by  the  queen  of  an  ant  {Formica  fusca),  which  lived  in 
his  care  until  August  8,  1888,  when  she  must  have  been 
nearly  15  years  old.  Another  queen  of  the  same  species 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  over  13  years. 

A  Centipede's  Enemy. 

A  centipede  is  afraid  of  a  tarantula,  and  when  ho 
lies  down  to  sleep  he  always  takes  the  precaution  to 


CURIOUS  FACTS  163 

build  a  cactus  fence  about  him.  A  tarantula  will  never 
crawl  over  cactus;  and  thus,  securely  hedged  in  his 
own  corral,  the  centipede  knows  he  may  sleep  as  long 
as  he  wants  to,  and  his  enemy  can't  get  at  him.  It 
is  laughable,  out  on  the  Mojave  desert,  to  watch  the 
security  of  these  centipedes  as  they  lie  and  sleep,  while 
their  arch  enemies,  the  tarantulas,  are  looking  over  the 
garden  wall,  so  to  speak,  trying  to  get  at  them.  I  have 
seen  the  tarantulas  nose  around  for  hours  before  giving 
it  up.  But  the  cactus  is  a  sure  barrier.  When  once 
they  become  satisfied  there  is  a  complete  barrier  they 
go  away,  and  cease  to  thirst  for  the  gore  of  the  centi- 
pede. The  latter,  however,  always  takes  a  careful  look 
around  before  he  removes  the  cactus  and  ventures  forth. 

Fecundity  of  Flies. 

A  fly  lays  four  times  during  the  summer,  each 
time  80  eggs,  which  makes  330 

Half  of  these  are  supposed  to  be  females,  so 
that  each  of  the  four  broods  produces  40; 
the  first  eighth,  or  the  40  females  of  the  first 
brood,  also  lay  four  times  in  the  course  of 
the   summer,   which   makes    12,800 

The  first  eighth  of  these,  or  1,600  females,  lay 
three  times  during  the  summer,  making  a 
total    of    384,000 

The  second  eighth  twice,  or    256,000 

The  third  and  fourth  eighth  at  least  once  each. .     256,000 

The  second  eighth,  or  the  40  females  of  the 
second  brood,  lay  three  times,  the  product  of 
which  is   9,600 

One  sixth  of  these,  or  1,600  females,  lay  three 
times,  or  a  number  of  eggs  corresponding  to    384,000 

The  second  sixth  lay  twice,  or  eggs  to  the 
number    of    256,000 

The  third   sixth  once,   or    128,000 

The  third  eighth,  or  the  40  females  of  the 
third  brood,  lay  twice  and  produce  eggs  to 
the   number   of 6,400 

One-fourth  of  these,  1,600  females,  lay  twice 
more,  or  tg%s  numbering   256,000 


l64 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


The  fourth  eighth,  or  40  females  of  the  fourtH 
brood,  lay  once  and  produce  eggs  numbering        3,200 

Half  of  these,  1,600  females,  lay  once  more  and 
hatch  flies  to  the  number  of  128,000 


Total  progeny  of  a  single  fly  in  one  summer. .  2,080,320 

Mosquitoes    in    England. 

Mr.  G.  H.  Ferrall,  F.  E.  S.,  commenting  on  some 
statements  made  in  the  daily  press,  says :  "  There  are 
about  a  hundred  species  of  mosquitoes  in  the  world, 
occurring  in  all  climes.  Eight  or  ten  species  have 
been  known  to  inhabit  England  for  more  than  fifty 
years,  in  fact,  since  they  were  first  studied.  No  new 
species  to  Britain  have  been  recorded  for  more  than 
fifty  years.  No  specially  tropical  species  has  ever  been 
recorded  as  having  occurred  in  Britain,  but  one  of 
our  well-known  British  species  has  recently  been 
recorded  in  Mexico.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  our  British 
species  bite  in  very  hot  weather,  when,  apparently,  like 
their  betters,  they  require  more  liquid  refreshment. 
Finally,  mosquitoes,  as  well  as  Hessian  Hies,  are  as 
common  in  England  as  white  butterflies." 

Great   Mountain    Ranges. 

The  South  American  Andes,  which  have  an  extreme 
length,  without  allowance  for  deviations,  of  4,500  miles, 
is  the  biggest  motmtain  range  in  the  world.  But  to 
mark  the  scale  on  which  nature  has  molded  the  New 
World,  the  Andes  may  be  regarded  as  merely  a  part 
of  the  sufficiently  continuous  chain  of  about  9,000 
miles,  which  loses  itself  near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Mackenzie  toward  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
The  Old  World  has  nothing  to  bring  into  comparison 
with  this  as  regards  bulk,  though  in  height  the  Hima- 
layas stand  unequaled,  with  an  average  altitude  of 
from  16,000  to  20,000  feet,  culminating  in  a  stupendous 
peak  that  soars  nearly  30,000  feet  into  the  air.  The 
length  of  the  Himalayas  is,  however,  only  a  third  of 
that  of  the  Andes  considered  separately,  or  a  sixth  of 
the  grand  American  chain  taken  as  a  whole. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  165 

Audible  Vibrations. 

While  the  deepest  tone  that  our  ears  are  capable  of 
recognizing  is  one  containing  sixteen  vibrations  a  sec- 
ond, the  phonograph  will  record  ten  vibrations  or  less, 
and  can  then  raise  the  pitch  until  we  hear  a  reproduc- 
tion from  them.  Similarly,  vibrations  above  thie  high- 
est rate  audible  to  the  ear  can  be  recorded  on  the 
phonograph,  and  then  reproduced  by  lowering  the  pitch 
until  we  actually  hear  the  record  of  those  inaudible 
pulsations. 

Water  Power. 

The  artesian  wells  of  North  and  South  Dakota  are 
probably  the  most  remarkable  for  pressure  and  the 
immense  quantity  of  water  supplied  of  any  ever  opened. 
More  than  100  of  such  wells,  from  500  to  1,600  feet 
deep,  are  to-day  in  successful  operation,  distributed 
from  Yankton,  in  the  extreme  south,  to  Pembina,  in 
the  extreme  north,  giving  forth  a  constant,  never  vary- 
ing stream,  which  is  in  no  wise  affected  by  the  in- 
creased number  of  wells,  and  showing  a  gauge  pressure 
in  some  instances  as  high  as  160,  170,  175,  and  187 
pounds  to  the  square  inch.  This  tremendous  power  is 
utilized  in  the  more  important  towns  for  water  supply, 
fire  protection,  and  the  driving  of  machinery  at  a 
wonderful  saving  on  the  original  cost  of  plant  and 
maintenance  when  compared  with  steam. 

Who's  Superstitious. 

Do  you  believe  in  witches,  spirits,  elves,  fairies,  vam- 
pires, ghouls,  ogres,  gnomes,  imps,  bogies,  brownies, 
pixsies,   or   leepreehauns? 

Do   you   believe    in   an   evil   genius? 

Do  you  believe  in  the  evil  eye? 

Do  you  believe  in  a  bottomless  pit? 

Do  you  believe  in  a  devil  with  horns,  cloven  foot, 
and  a  long   spiked   tail? 

Would  you  pass  a  night  in  a  graveyard  or  church, 
with  a  corpse  in  a  church  or  in  a  chamel  house? 

Do  you  wear  anything  which  can  be  considered  in 
the  nature  of  a  talisman  or  mascot? 


l66  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Did  you  ever  employ  anything  as  a  talisman? 

Do  you   attach  any  meaning  to   four-leaved   clover? 

Would  you   willingly   pass   under   a   ladder? 

Do  you  feel   uncomfortable  when  you   spill   salt? 

Would  you   sit   down   with   thirteen   at  table? 

Would  you  start  on  a  trip  on  a  Friday,  or  would 
you  defer  commencing  an  important  work  on  that  day? 

Do  you  attach  any  particular  importance  to  certain 
numbers,   especially  to  three,   seven,   and  nine? 

Would  you  give  a  child  of  yours  the  same  name  as 
that  of  one  who  had  just  died? 

Are  you  afraid  of  the  dark? 

Did  you  ever  have  your  fortune  told  by  gypsy,  as- 
trologer,   cards,    or    similar   tests? 

Were  you  ever  made  uneasy  by  hearing  the  insect 
commonly  known   as  the  death-watch? 

Would  you  venture  to  knock  three  times  at  midnight 
on  the  door  of  an  empty  church? 

Do  you  believe  in  dreams,  omens,  portents,  signs, 
warnings,  harbingers,  or  handwritings  on  the  wall? 

A  Few   Superstitions.  • 

If  you  shiver,  some  one  is  walking  over  your  future 
grave. 

When  your  nose  itches,  something  will  soon  happen 
to  vex  you. 

When  your  right  eye  itches,  it  is  a  sign  of  good 
luck;  when  your  left  eye,  of  bad  luck. 

When  rooks  desert  a  rookery,  it  forebodes  the 
downfall  of  the  family  on  whose  property  it  is. 

A  spider  descending  upon  you  from  the  roof  is  a 
token  that  you  will  soon  have  a  legacy  from  a  friend. 

Candle  and  other  lights  are  supposed  to  burn  blue 
and  dim  when  invisible  beings  are  present,  especially 
if  they  be  evil  spirits. 

It  is  a  good  omen  for  swallows  to  take  posse'ssion  of 
a  place  and  build  their  nests  around  it;  while  it  is 
unpropitious  for  them  to  forsake  a  place  which  they 
have  once  tenanted. 

The  magpie  is  deemed  a  bird  of  evil  omen.  Its 
unluckiness   has  been   accounted   for   by   its  being  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  167 

only  bird  which  did  not  go  into  the  ark  with  Noah. 

If  you  have  any  white  marks  on  your  nails,  com- 
monly called  "  gifts,"  you  may  expect  to  get  as  many 
presents  as  there  are  marks,  as  soon  as  these  get  up 
to  the  nail  ends,  in  the  course  of  their  natural  growth. 

When  an  experienced  old  shepherd  sees  the  first 
lamb  in  the  spring,  he  notes  whether  its  head  or  tail 
is  turned  towards  him.  If  the  former,  he  will  have 
plenty  of  meat  to  eat  during  the  year;  if  the  latter, 
he  looks  for  nothing  beyond  milk  and  bread,  and 
vegetables  without  beef,   and  perhaps  ham. 

Superstitions  About  Shoes. 

The  German  mother  says  that  should  she  lose  the 
heel  of  her  shoe,  one  of  her  children  will  die  before 
the  year  is  out. 

The  Scotch  lassie  believes  that  should  she  by  acci- 
dent drop  her  new  shoes  before  they  have  been  worn, 
they  will  surely  lead  her  into  trouble. 

It  is  said  that  old  maids  believe  that  when  their 
shoes  come  untied,  and  keep  coming  untied,  it  is  true 
their  sweethearts  are  talking  and  thinking  about  them. 

The  sweetheart,  when  on  his  way  to  see  his  lady 
love,  should  he  stub  his  right  toe  he  will  surely  be 
welcome,  but  if  he  stubs  his  left  he  may  know  that 
he  is  not  wanted. 

It  is  said  that  if  old  shoes  are  burned,  snakes  will 
squirm  away  from  the  place,  while  to  keep  old  shoes 
that  are  past  wearing  about  the  place  will  surely  bring 
good  luck. 

Should  a  young  man  be  careless  of  his  shoe  laces 
'tis  said  that  he  will  be  as  neglectful  of  his  wife,  but 
in  case  he  laces  his  shoes  very  tight  he  will  be  at- 
tentive, but  very  stingy  toward  her. 

Among  negroes  in  the  south,  the  "  old  aunties "  say 
that  burned  shoe  soles  and  feathers  are  good  to  cure 
a  cold  in  the  head,  and  parched  shoes  and  hog  hoofs 
is  a  good  mixture  for  coughs. 

Should  you  meet  a  person  whose  shoes  are  "  worn 
on  the  toes  "  you  may  put  it  down  as  a  certainty  that 
"  he  spends  as  he  goes ; "  and  on  the  same  authority 


i68  CURIOUS  FACTS 

it  is  said  that  the  girl  that  has  her  shoes   '*  worn  on 
the  side  "  is  surely  fated  to  be  a  "  rich  man's  bride." 

When  a  pair  of  new  shoes  are  brought  home,  never 
place  them  on  a  shelf  higher  than  your  head  if  you 
would  have  good  luck  while  v/earing  them,  and  never 
blacken  them  before  you  have  had  both  shoes  on,  else 
you  may  meet  with  an  accident,  and  perhaps  sudden 
death. 

The  Bible's  History. 

Two  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  years 
ago,  in  the  year  285  b.  c,  seventy  of  the  wise  men  of 
Alexandria  engaged  themselves  in  compiling  and  col- 
lating the  Hebrew  Scriptures  into  their  present  united 
form  and  further  simplifying  the  works  by  translating 
them  into  Greek  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jews  then  in 
Egypt.  The  results  of  their  labors  have  since  been 
known  collectively  as  the  Septuagint,  from  the  fact 
that  it  is   the  work   of  the   seventy   translators. 

About  400  years  later,  in  the  second  century,  a.  d., 
the  books  of  the  New  Testament  were  added  and  the 
whole   translated   into   Latin. 

The  Itala,  or  Latin  version,  soon  became  the  standard 
of  the  primitive  Christians,  and  was  used  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  both  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  versions  for 
two  centuries,  until  the  St.  Jerome  revision  of  a.  d. 
405.  After  St.  Jerome  had  finished  his  crowning  work, 
a  great  deal  of  which  he  performed  in  the  village  of 
Bethlehem,  almost  in  sight  of  the  birthplace  of  Jesus, 
the  Dalmatian  and  Pannonian  monks  hid  away  their 
old  versions  of  the  Bible  and  would  use  no  other  ex- 
cept the  one  which  had  been  given  them  by  their 
patron,  Jerome,  himself. 

The  Jerome  revision  was  as  superior  to  the  work 
of  the  seventy  as  their  work  was  to  the  old  semi- 
barbaric  work  which  existed  prior  to  the  translation 
of  285  B.  c. 

St.   Jerome. 

The  most  carefully  written  copies  of  the  Bible  ob- 
tainable were  consulted  by  the  scholarly  saint  and 
compared  with  the  Arabic,  Hebrew,  and  Syriac  versions. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  169 

in  all  of  which  he  made  emendations  and  corrections 
which  have  stood  the  test  of  all  subsequent  time.  The 
herculean  task  undertaken  by  St.  Jerome  will  be  better 
understood  when  the  reader  has  been  informed  that 
over  200  versions  of  the  Evangelists,  each  differing 
from  the  other  in  many  of  its  essential  details,  were 
presented  for  the  consideration  of  the  sages  at  the 
council  of  Nice,  in  325  a.  d.  For  hundreds  of  years 
copyists  had  added  to  and  taken  from  the  Scriptures 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  it  extremely  difficult  for 
even  the  most  learned  to  decide  v/hat  should  remain 
for  the  edification  of  future  generations  or  what  should 
be  eliminated  from  the  sacred  pages  as  apocryphal. 

The  word  "  bible,"  meaning  book,  or  as  applied  by 
the  early  writers,  ''  the  book,"  was  first  used  by  Chry- 
sostom  as  early  as  the  fifth  century,  where  he  speaks 
of  the  sacred  writings  collectively  as  the  Biblia,  or 
*'  the  Books."  The  infinite  variations  which  occurred 
in  the  manuscripts  written  by  the  early  Christian 
fathers  have  caused  a  great  deal  of  contention  among 
churchmen,  some  admitting  certain  books  as  canonical 
which  are  rejected  by  others  as  apocryphal.  This  you 
can  find  illustrated  by  comparing  a  Douay  and  a  King 
James  Bible  of  to-day;  the  former  admits  several 
books  which  the  King  James  translators  would  not,  as 
they   considered    them   uncanonical. 

The  several  books  as  arranged  and  accepted  at 
present  are  the  results  of  years  of  labor  and  of  count- 
less councils  and  revision  assemblages.  For  1,200 
years  after  the  Savior  of  Men  ended  his  brief  career 
on  the  rugged  heights  of  Calvary,  the  touching  details 
of  which  are  known  to  over  700,000,000  of  people,  and 
in  every  land  on  the  globe,  each  book  of  the  Bible 
was  one  continued  story,  undivided  into  chapters,  para- 
graphs, or  verses. 

Divisions  of  the  Bible. 

Prior  to  the  time  of  the  Spanish  rabbi,  the  Jew  had 
employed  a  system  of  dividing  the  chapters  into  verses 
in  the  Old  Testament,  a  system  which  b^d  never  been 
adopted  by  the  Christians,  and  which  was  discarded 
for  that  of  the  learned  Spaniard  by  the  Jews  them- 


170 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


selves.  The  New  Testament  was  not  divided  into 
verses  until  after  the  invention  of  the  art  of  printing, 
by  the  Robert  Stephens  Greek  edition  in   1551. 

Of  the  early  translations  of  the  Bible  the  most  im- 
portant, aside  from  the  Septuagint  and  the  St.  Jerome 
versions,  are  the  threefold  Egyptian  translation  of  the 
fourth  century.  This  remarkable  work  of  the  copyist 
was  in  three  languages,  and  was  intended  for  all  parts 
of  Egypt;  the  Versio  Figurata,  collated  by  Jacob  of 
Edessa,  in  the  eighth  century;  that  of  Paul,  Bishop 
of  Tela,  in  617;  and  the  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  cen- 
tury translations,  made  respectively  by  Bede,  Alfred, 
and  -^Ifric. 

During  the  dark  ages,  and  on  down  to  the  time 
Luther  gave  his  jnasterpiece  to  the  world,  several 
translations  were'  .hade,  including  that  of  Notker- 
Labeo,  980  a.  d.  ;  that  prepared  under  the  supervision 
of  Petrus  Waldus,  170;  the  important  work  of  Louis 
the  Pious,  1227;  that  of  Charles  the  Wise,  1380;  the 
Guyars  version  of  1286;  the  thirteenth  century  version 
in  Spanish  during  the  reign  of  Alphonso  V.;  and  the 
two  excellent  works  of  Wickliffe  and  Huss,  the  latter 
for  the  Bohemians  and  the  former  for  the  English 
speaking  people.  With  the  invention  of  printing  every 
person  who  had  ever  laid  claim  to  literary  abilities 
seemed  to  think  that  he  had  been  specially  commis- 
sioned from  on  high  to  translate  the  Word  of  God, 
as  one  would  naturally  infer  from  the  fact  that  not 
less  than  seventeen  German  translations  alone  were 
given  to  the  public  between  the  time  of  Guttenberg 
and  Faust  and  that  of  Martin  Luther. 

The  early  printed  editions  of  the  Bible  remind  one 
of  what  the  philosopher  said  about  the  human  frame 
— they  were  ''  curiously  and  wonderfully  made."  The 
Wickliffe  (sometimes  spelled  Wycliffe)  version  of 
1384  was  the  first  English  translation.  John  Wick- 
cliffe,  the  translator,  was  condemned  to  be  burned  for 
presuming  to  do  such  a  thing  without  the  consent  of 
the  clergy,  but  was  finally  allowed  to  die  a  natural 
death.  His  Bible  was  never  printed;  however,  there 
are  many  manuscript  copies  of  it — John  W.  Wright. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  171 

Origin  of  Vitality. 

What  is  the  vital  spark  which  animates  organic  life? 
The  origin  of  vitality  is  as  truly  one  of  nature's  dark 
secrets,  utterly  hidden  from  the  eye  of  the  scientific 
man  of  to-day  as  from  the  perceptions  of  the  earnest 
inquirers  of  4,000  years  ago.  There  is  more  known 
of  the  method  of  its  manifestations  and  growth  than 
they  knew,  but  whether  a  correlative  or  substantive  of 
heat,  light  or  electricity,  whether  measurable  or  im- 
measurable, there  is  one  thing  pretty  well  ascertained, 
and  that  is  that  there  is  a  fixed  quantity  apportioned 
to  things  and  to  mankind,  and  that  vitality  is  an  in- 
dividual allotment,  a  separate  characteristic,  so  to 
speak,  bestowed  upon  each  individual  member  of  the 
organic  creation,  no  two  things  of  the  same  variety 
and  genus  receiving  the  same  quantity. 

About  Brains. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  we  get  a  complete  new 
outfit  of  brains  about  every  two  months.  The  dura- 
tion of  a  nerve's  life  is  about  sixty  days.  Each  nerve 
cell  has  its  own  independent  functions,  subordinate 
to  the  higher  functions  of  the  whole  brain  en  masse; 
and  the  latter  acts  as  a  sort  of  boss  or  overseer  to  the 
individual  actions  and  life  of  each  separate  cell.  Every 
cell  is  destroyed  and  renewed  every  two  months,  so 
we  each  get   six   brand  new   brains  per  year. 

The  Way  to  Fall  Down. 

The  special  providence  that  seems  to  hover  over 
drunken  men  and  children  has  something  of  an  ex- 
planation, in  the  fact  of  the  main  cause  of  the  break- 
age of  bones  from  falls  being  from  a  resistance  of  the 
tendons  more  often  than  from  the  violence  of  the 
shock  incident  to  the  actual  fall.  A  child,  or  an  in- 
toxicated person,  will  rarely  endeavor,  with  any  great 
effort,  to  recover  his  balance  when  he  slips  or  topples 
over.  Hence  no  special  resisting  force  is  exercised, 
and  he   sinks   into  a   collapsed   heap   without   serious 


172  CURIOUS  FACTS: 

injury.  When  an  adult  in  possession  of  his  sound 
senses  undertakes,  with  endless  contortions  and  gyra- 
tions, to  save  himself  from  going  down,  he  draws 
every  muscle  and  sinew  taut,  and  if  the  wrench  is  too 
severe  the  bone  breaks. 

Handy. 

The  cold  of  Siberia  is  so  great  in  winter  that  many 
kinds  of  provisions,  which  are  with  us  either  sealed 
or  salted,  are  there  kept  by  simple  freezing.  The  ap- 
pearance of  the  markets  at  that  season  is  described  by 
Mr.   Lansdell. 

Frozen  chicken,  partridges  and  other  game  are  often 
thrown  together  in  heaps,  like  bricks  or  firewood. 
Butchers'  meat  defies  the  knife,  and  some  of  the  sales- 
men place  their  animals  in  fantastic  positions  before 
freezing  them. 

Frozen  fish  are  piled  in  stacks,  and  milk  is  offered 
for  sale  in  cakes  or  bricks.  A  stick  or  string  is  gen- 
erally congealed  into  a  corner  of  the  mass  to  facilitate 
carrying,  so  that  a  wayfarer  can  swing  a  quart  of  milk 
at  his  side,  or  wrap  it  in  his  handkerchief,  at  discre- 
tion. 

The  Wandering  Jew — The  Tradition  as    Given    in 
1228. 

The  legend  of  the  Wandering  Jew  was  brought  to 
Europe  from  the  east  late  in  the  eleventh  century,  after 
the  first  crusade  under  Peter  the  Hermit.  In  the  year 
1228  this  legend  was  told  for  the  first  time  by  an  Ar- 
menian bishop,  then  lately  arrived  from  the  Holy  Land, 
to  the  monks  of  St.  Alban,  in  England.  According  to 
his  narrative,  Joseph  Cartaphilus  was  doorkeeper  at 
the  prsetorium  of  Pontius  Pilate  when  Jesus  was  led 
away  to  be  crucified.  As  Jesus  halted  upon  the  thresh- 
old of  the  praetorium  Cartaphilus  struck  him  in  the 
loms  and  said :  *'  Move  faster !  Why  do  you  stop 
here?"  Jesus,  the  legend  continues,  turned  round  to 
him  and  said,  with  a  severe  look:  ''  I  go,  but  you  will 
await  My  coming."  Cartaphilus,  who  was  then  thirty 
years  old,  and  who  since  then  has  always  returned  to 


CURIOUS  FACTS  173 

that  age  when  he  had  completed  a  hundred  years,  has 
ever  since  been  awaiung  the  coming  of  our  i^ord  and 
the  end  of  the  world.  He  was  said  to  suffer  under  the 
peculiar  doom  of  ceaselessly  traversing  the  earth  on 
foot.  The  general  belief  was  that  he  was  a  man  of 
great  piety,  of  sad  and  gentle  manners,  of  few  words, 
often  weeping,  seldom  smiling,  and  content  with  the 
scantiest  and  simplest  food  and  the  most  _  poverty 
stricken  garments.  Such  was  the  tradition  which  poets 
and  romancists  in  various  lands  and  many  languages 
have  introduced  into  song  and  story.  As  the  ages 
rolled  on  new  circumstances  were  added  to  this  tale. 
Paul  of  Eitzen,  a  German  bishop,  wrote  in  a  letter  to 
a  friend  that  he  had  met  the  Wandering  Jew  at  Ham- 
burg in  1564,  and  had  a  long  conversation  with  him. 
He  appeared  to  be  fifty  years  of  age.  His  hair  was 
long,  and  he  went  barefoot.  His  dress  consisted  of 
very  full  breeches,  a  short  petticoat  or  kilt  reaching 
to  the  knees,  and  a  cloak  so  long  that  it  descended 
to  his  heels.  Instead  of  Joseph  Cartaphilus,  he  was 
then  called  Ahasuerus. 

Training  for  Girls 

Did  girls  get  from  childhood  the  same  business  train- 
ing as  boys,  and  were  it  clearly  understood  to  all 
families  that  it  is  not  a  credit,  but  a  discredit,  for 
women  to  be  idle,  to  hang  helpless  on  the  men  instead 
of  doing  their  own  work,  and,  if  necessary,  earning 
their  own  living,  I  believe  society  would  not  be  the 
worse  but  the  better  for  the  change.  Men  would  find 
out  that  the  more  they  elevate  women  the  greater  use 
they  get  out  of  them.^  If,  instead  of  a  man  working 
himself  to  death  for  his  unmarried  daughters,  and  then 
leaving  them  ignominiously  dependent  upon  male  re- 
lations, he  educated  them  to  independence,  made  them 
able  both  to  maintain  and  to  protect  themselves,  it 
would  save  him  and  them  a  world  of  unhappiness. 
They  would  cease  to  be  either  the  rivals — a  very 
hopeless  rivalry — or  the  playthings  first,  and  then  the 
slaves  of  men,  and  become,  as  was  originally  intended, 
their  co-mates,  equal  and  yet  different,  each  sex  supply- 
ing the  other's  deficiencies,  and  therefore  fitted  to  work 


174  CURIOUS  FACTS 

together,  not  apart,  for  the  good  of  the  world.— T/i^ 
Forum. 

The  Blind  in  China. 

Miss  Gordon  Gumming  has  published  some  very 
curious  and  interesting  particulars  concerning  a  suc- 
cessful attempt  to  teach  the  blind  in  China.  It  is 
stated  that  there  are  more  than  500,000  of  blind  people 
in  China.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  W. 
H.  Murray,  who  introduced  a  phonetic  system  of 
teaching  by  means  of  embossed  dots,  a  school  for  the 
blind  has  been  opened  at  Pekin,  and  it  is  worthy  of 
note  that  the  pupils  there  learn  to  read  more  quickly 
than  those  who  have  the  use  of  their  eyes,  tending  to 
show  that  Chinese  typography  requires  remodelling. 

Wonders  of  the  Body. 

The  skin  contains  more  than  2,000,000  openings, 
which  are  the  outlets  of  an  equal  number  of  sweat 
glands.  The  hum^n  skeleton  consists  of  more  than 
200  distinct  bones.  An  amount  of  blood  equal  to  the 
whole  quantity  in  the  body  passes  through  the  heart 
once  every  minute.  The  full  capacity  of  the  lungs  is 
about  320  cubic  inches.  About  two-thirds  of  a  pint 
of  air  is  inhaled  and  exhaled  at  each  breath  in  ordi- 
nary respiration.  The  stomach  daily  produces  9  pounds 
of  gastric  juice  for  digestion  of  food;  its  capacity  is 
about  5  pints.  There  are  more  than  500  separate 
muscles  in  the  body,  with  an  equal  number  of  nerves 
and  bloodvessels.  The  weight  of  the  heart  is  from  8 
to  12  ounces.  It  beats  100,000  times  in  24  hours.  Each 
perspiratory  duct  is  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  length, 
of  the  whole  about  9  miles.  The  average  man  takes 
51-2  pounds  of  food  and  drink  each  day,  which 
amounts  to  one  ton  of  solid  and  liquid  nourishment 
annually.  A  man  breathes  18  times  in  a  minute,  and 
3,000  cubic  feet,  or  about  375  hogsheads  of  air  every 
hour  of  his  existence. 

Short  Life  of  the  Dog. 
A  lover  of  dogs  writes:  The  dog  is  short  lived.    He 
is  aged  at  15  years,  as  old  in  point  of  decrepitude  as  a 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I75 

horse  at  30,  more  so  than  a  man  at  80.  It  is  sad  to 
think  for  how  short  a  time  we  have  this  prime  favor- 
ite with  us,  and  what  lamentations  are  poured  over 
his  early  grave.  He  doubtless  lives  a  fast  life.  He 
has  fine  faculties,  scent  and  sight  and  hearing,  and 
he  uses  them  without  stint.  His  digestion  must  be 
pretty  good,  too,  judging  by  the  way  he  bolts  his  food. 
Perhaps  nature  has  designed  him  to  wear  himself  out 
quickly,  so  that  he  shall  not  live  long  enough  to  know 
too  much — to  learn  to  speak  and  to  write — in  short, 
to  rival  her  proud  piece  of  work,  man,  as  he  might 
if  he  had  fifty  years  instead  of  fifteen  to  do  it  in. — 
Montreal  Star. 

Contrasts  Between  Paris  and  London. 

In  the  streets  French  traffic  all  goes  to  the  right; 
London  coachmen  drive  always  to  the  left.  Parisians 
live  together  in  large  houses  like  barracks;  Londoners 
have  one  family  in  a  house.  They  have  a  latch  key, 
the  Frenchman  a  concierge.  Paris  has  its  cafes,  Lon- 
don its  clubs.  Parisian  beds  are  up  in  an  alcove  in  the 
wall;  Londoners  sleep  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 
London  takes  three  or  four  meals  a  day,  Paris  two. 
Paris  dines,  London  eats.  Paris  loaves  are  long,  Lon- 
don loaves  are  square.  Paris  drinks  wine,  London 
beer.  Paris  takes  coffee,  London  tea.  Frenchmen 
while  dining  talk  to  their  neighbor  and  enjoy  each 
other's  society;  Britons  sit  alone  at  table  and  don't 
say  much  but  enjoy  their  food.  London  workmen 
work  in  their  ordinary  clothes,  call  each  other  '*  mate," 
smoke  clay  pipes,  and  punch  each  other's  heads  occa- 
sionally. Parisian  workmen  do  their  business  in 
blouses,  call  their  friends  ''  citizen "  or  **  sir,"  smoke 
cigarettes,  take  their  hats  off  to  each  other,  and  do 
their  fighting  with  their  feet. — Tit  Bits'  Guide  to  Paris, 

Unscrewing  a  Fountain  Pen. 

If  you  use  a  fountain  pen,  and  find  it  difHcult  to 
unscrew  the  nozzle,  wrap  a  rubber  band  a  few  times 
around  it.  That  will  give  a  grip  almost  equal  to  a  pair 
of  pincers,  and  will  not  injure  the  holder.  If  you 
haven't  a  rubber  at  hand  a  string  or  a  dampened  piece 


jy6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

of  paper  will  do.  A  glass  stopper  may  thus  be  easily 
removed  from  a  bottle  or  inkstand  after  defying  the 
strongest   grip    of   moist   fingers. 

There  Has  Been  an  Improvement. 

The  rules  of  etiquette  laid  down  now  regarding 
court  functions  are  comical^  but  don't  compare  with 
the  following  regulations,  which  were  prescribed  by 
the  lord  chamberlain  200  years  ago  for  the  benefit  of 
officers,  many  of  them  belonging  to  noble  families. 
When  invited  to  dine  with  royal  persons  they  were  to 
be  neatly  dressed,  with  clean  coats  and  boots,  and  not 
to  enter  the  room  in  a  half  drunken  condition.  They 
were  warned  not  to  drink  after  each  mouthful,  as  that 
would  make  them  drunk  too  soon,  nor  to  empty  more 
than  one  goblet  for  every  two  dishes.  They  were  not 
to  put  their  hands  in  the  plates,  their  bones  under  the 
table,  lick  their  fingers,  wipe  their  noses  on  the  table 
cloth,  or  drink  so  much  as  to  make  them  fall  off  the 
chairs  or  unable  to  walk  straight.  These  are  extracts 
from  a  guide  carefully  drawn  up  for  the  guidance  of 
officers  and  gentlemen  of  noble  families,  which  shows 
that  manners  have  improved  since  1624. 

Method  of  Embalming. 

There  are  various  methods  of  embalming  bodies,  but 
the  "  Brunelli  process  "  is  held  to  be  the  best.  In  per- 
forming that  the  circulatory  system  is  cleansed  by 
washing  with  cold  water  till  it  issues  quite  clear  from 
the  body.  This  may  occupy  from  two  to  five  hours. 
Alcohol  is  injected  so  as  to  take  out  as  much  water 
as  possible.  This  occupies  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
Ether  is  then  injected  to  abstract  the  fatty  matter. 
This  occupies  from  two  to  ten  hours.  A  strong  solu- 
tion of  tannin  is  then  injected.  This  occupies  for 
imbibation  from  two  to  ten  hours.  The  body  is  then 
dried  in  a  current  of  warm  air  passed  over  heated 
chloride  of  calcium.  This  may  occupy  from  two  to 
five  hours.  The  body  is  then  perfectly  preserved  and 
resists  decay. 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  lyj 

\ 
An  Important  Period. 

Those  of  us  not  yet  50  years  of  age  have  probably 
hved  in  the  most  important  and  intellectually  pro- 
gressive period  of  human  history.  Within  the  past 
half  century  the  following  inventions  and  discoveries 
have  either  been  placed  before  the  world  or  elaborated: 
Ocean  steamships,  raihVays,  street  railroads,  telegraph 
lines,  ocean  cables,  telephone,  phonograph,  photography, 
and  a  score  of  new  methods  of  picture  making,  aniline 
colors;  kerosene  oil,  electric  lights,  steam  fire  engines, 
chemical  fire  extinguishers,  anaesthetics  and  painless 
surgery,  gun  cotton,  nitro-glycerine,  dynamite,  and  a 
host  of  other  explosives;  aluminum,  magnesium,  and 
other  new  metals;  electro-plating,  spectrum  analysis, 
and  the  spectroscope;  audiphone,  pneumatic  tubes, 
electric  motors,  electric  railways,  electric  bells,  type- 
writers, cheap  postal  system,  steam  heating,  steam  and 
hydraulic  elevators,  vestibule  cars,  cantilever  bridges. 
These  are  only  a  few  out  of  a  multitude.  All  positive 
knowledge  of  the  physical  constitution  of  planetary 
and  stellar  worlds  has  also  been  attained  within  this 
period. 

Tree  Superstitions. 

The  ash  has  always  been  associated  with  supersti- 
tion, more  of  a  divinatory  character  than  anything 
else. 

Among  the  ancients  it  was  generally  believed  that 
lightning  would  not  touch  the  bay  tree. 

In  classic  times  the  laurel,  one  of  our  most  beau- 
tiful evergreens,  was  famous  for  its  many  virtues. 

One  of  the  most  sacred  trees  in  the  east  is  the 
peepul,  which  is  venerated  alike  by  the  Buddhist  and 
the  Hindoo. 

The  withering  of  the  bay  tree  was  considered  an 
omen  of  the  most  dangerous  character,  and  a  sure 
presage  of  death. 

To  a  belief  that  the  whitethorn  formed  Christ's 
crown  of  thorns  is  due  a  French  superstition  that  this 
tree  utters  groans  and  cries   on   Good  Friday. 

The  old  superstition,   which  refuses  to  give  up  the 


178  CURIOUS  FACTS: 

ghost,  is  that  if  the  oak  gets  into  leaf  before  the  ash, 
we  may  expect  a  fine  and  productive  year. 

The  pine  tree  is  one  of  the  most  useful  and  luxuriant 
of  our  forest  trees,  and  in  ancient  days  it  received  an 
amount  of  veneration  amongst  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
similar  to  the  oak  tree  amongst  the  Druids. 

It  is  believed  that  a  twig  of  the  hazel  placed  over 
the  door  of  a  dwelling  house  is  an  infallible  charm 
against  lightning;  and  various  other  supernatural 
powers   are   attributed  to   this    mystic   tree. 

From  Mexico  there  comes  a  peculiar  tree  known  as 
the  '*  tree  of  little  hands."  It  is  thus  called  owing  to 
the  fact  that  its  five  peculiarly  curved  anthers  bear 
some  slight   resemblance  to  the  fingers  of  a  child. 

The  holly  tree  has  become  an  object  of  worship,  like 
the  mistletoe,  and  at  one  time  new  born  children  were 
sprinkled  with  water  impregnated  with  holly  to  ward 
off  evil  spirits. 

The  Brahmins  believe  that  to  dream  of  a  mango  tree 
is  indicative  of  the  coming  of  a  friend;  that  if  the 
mango  tree  be  in  bloom  he  will  come  with  good  news; 
if  in  fruit,  with  some  rich  presents. 

The  juice  of  the  hemlock,  which  is  deadly  in  its 
effect,  was  abstracted  by  the  Greeks;  and,  in  cases  of 
capital  offences,  the  criminal  was  given  a  dose  if  his 
crime  had  not  been  particularly  heinous. 

Arabia  has  a  curious  tree,  the  seeds  of  which,  it  is 
said,  if  pulverized  and  taken  in  small  doses,  will  excite 
even  the  most  sedate  persons  to  perform  all  the  con- 
tortions, facial  and  bodily,  of  a  circus  clown,  for  about 
the  space  of  one  hour. 

Why  Bunning  Produces  Heat. 

Running  makes  a  person  warm  because  of  the  inhala- 
tion of  an  increased  amount  of  air,  and  causes  the 
blood  to  pass  more  rapidly  through  the  lungs.  The 
rapid  inhalation  of  air  involves  the  introduction  of  a 
greater  quantity  of  air  into  the  body,  which  renders 
the  combustion  of  the  blood  more  rapid,  and  the  blood 
itself  more  heated.  The  quantity  of  air  breathed  while 
running  at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour  is  six  times  that 
breathed  while  walking  at  the  rate  of  one  mile  an  hour. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  179 

The  superfluous  heat  arising  from  the  exertion  of  run- 
ning is  disposed  of  through  the  skin  by  means  of  in- 
creased perspiration. 

A   Curious   Race. 

A  curious  race  was  recently  witnessed  in  Westphalia, 
the  contest  being  between  pigeons  and  a  number  of  bees, 
the  respective  owners  of  which  had  wagered  their  fa- 
vorites to  win.  The  course  was  three  miles  and  a  half, 
and  a  dovecot  which  happened  to  be  near  a  hive  was 
selected  as  the  winning  post.  It  was  found  no  easy  matter 
to  mark  the  bees  so  as  to  make  their  identity  unmis- 
takable, but  the  difficulty  was  at  last  surmounted  by 
Foiling  them  in  flour  previous  to  starting  them  on  their 
journey.  This,  while  making  them  easily  recognized 
on  their  arrival,  probably  retarded  their  flight;  but 
nevertheless,  and  though  the  pigeons  were  looked  upon 
by  those  interested  as  the  most  likely  winners,  the  race 
resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  bees ;  the  first  bee  arriving 
at  the  post  twenty-five  seconds  before  the  first  pigeon, 
and  three  other  bees  before  the  second. 

The  Speed  of  Thought. 

It  takes  about  two-fifths  of  a  second  to  call  to  mind 
the  country  in  which  a  well-known  town  is  situated  or 
the  language  in  which  a  familiar  author  wrote.  We  can 
think  of  the  name  of  the  next  month  in  half  the  time 
we  need  to  think  of  the  name  of  last  month.  It  takes 
on  the  average  of  one-third  of  a  second  to  add  num- 
bers containing  one  digit  and  half-a-second  to  multiply 
them.  Such  experiments  give  us  considerable  insight 
into  the  mind. 

Those  used  to  reckoning  can  add  two  to  three  in  less 
time  than  others ;  those  familiar  with  literature  can  re- 
member more  quickly  than  others  that  Shakespeare 
wrote  **  Hamlet."  It  takes  longer  to  mention  a  month 
when  a  season  has  been  given  than  to  say  to  what  month 
a  season  belongs. 

The  time  taken  up  in  choosing  a  motion,  the  *'  will 
time,"  can  be  measured  as  well  as  the  time  taken  up  in 
perceiving.  If  I  do  not  know  which  of  two  colored 
lights  is  to  be  presented,  and  must  lift  my  right  hand  if 


l8o  CURIOUS  FACTS 

it  be  red  and  my  left  if  it  be  blue,  I  need  about  one- 
thirteenth  of  a  second  to  initiate  the  correct  motion.  I 
have  also  been  able  to  register  the  sound  waves  made  in 
the  air  by  speaking,  and  thus  have  determined  that  in 
order  to  call  up  the  name  belonging  to  a  printed  word 
I  need  about  one-ninth  of  a  second,  to  a  letter  one-sixth 
of  a  second,  to  a  picture  one-quarter  of  a  second,  and 
to  a  color  one-third  of  a  second. 

A  letter  can  be  seen  more  quickly  than  a  word,  but 
we  are  so  used  to  reading  aloud  that  the  process  has 
become  quite  automatic,  and  a  word  can  be  read  with 
greater  ease  and  in  less  time  than  a  letter  can  be  named. 
The  same  experiments  made  on  other  persons  give  times 
differing  but  little  from  my  own.  Mental  processes,  how- 
ever, take  place  more  slowly  in  children,  in  the  aged 
and  in  the  uneducated. — Nineteenth  Century. 

Pneumonia's  Victims. 

Pneumonia  usually  strikes  the  healthy,  robust  person 
m.ore  often  than  it  does  the  weak,  thin  people.  The 
cause  is  a  very  simple  one.  As  a  general  rule,  the 
healthy  people  pay  the  least  attention  to  the  condition  of 
their  health,  believing  that  their  constitution  is  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  withstand  all  ordinary  exposure.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  weakly  person  or  invalid  takes  more 
than  the  usual  precaution  against  even  the  most  ordinary 
exposure.  They  do  not  stand  within  dangerous  air 
drafts,  they  do  not  change  heavy  for  light  undercloth- 
mg,  and  they  do  not  do  many  other  things  of  an  equally 
dangerous  character. 

The  Dying  Suffer  Not. 

The  act  of  dying,  it  is  now  ascertained,  is  absolutely 
free  from  suffering;  it  is  really  unconscious,  insensi- 
bility always  preceding  it.  Any  anguish  that  may  attend 
mortal  illness  ceases  before  the  close,  as  thousands  who 
have  recovered,  after  hope  had  been  surrendered,  have 
borne  witness.  Sudden  and  violent  death,  shocking  to 
the  senses,  may  not  be,  probably  is  not,  painful  to  the 
victim.  Drowning,  hanging,  freezing,  shooting,  falling 
from  a  height,  poisoning  of  many  kinds,  beget  stupor 


CURIOUS  FACTS^  l8i 

or  numbness  of  the  nerves,  which  is  incompatible  with 
sensation.  Persons  who  have  met  with  such  accidents, 
and  survived  them,  testify  to  this.  Records  to  the  effect 
are  numberless. — Junius  H.  Browne. 

Things  Eaten   from   the   Fingers. 

The  list  of  things  that  can  be  eaten  from  the  fingers 
is  on  the  increase.  It  includes  all  bread,  toast,  tarts,  and 
small  cakes,  celery  and  asparagus,  when  served  whole, 
as  it  should  be,  either  hot  or  cold;  lettuce,  which  must 
be  crumpled  in  the  fingers  and  dipped  in  salt  or  sauce; 
olives,  to  which  a  fork  should  never  be  put  any  more 
than  a  knife  should  be  used  on  raw  oysters;  straw- 
berries, when  served  with  the  stems  on,  as  they  should 
be,  are  touched  to  pulverized  sugar ;  cheese  in  all  forms, 
except  Brie  or  Roquefort  or  Cammerbert,  and  fruit  of 
all  kinds,  except  preserves  and  melons.  The  latter 
should  be  eaten  with  a  spoon  or  fork.  In  the  use  of  the 
fingers  greater  indulgence  is  being  shown,  and  you  can- 
not, if  you  are  well-bred,  make  any  very  bad  mistake 
in  this  direction,  especially  when  the  finger  bowl  stands 
by  you  and  the  napkin  is  handy. 

Royal  Blood  in  Everybody's  Veins. 

Every  man  has  two  parents,  four  grand-parents,  eight 
great-grandparents,  sixteen  great-great-grandparents, 
thirty-two  great-great-great-grandparents,  etc.  Now,  if 
we  reckon  twenty-five  years  to  a  generation,  and  carry 
on  the  above  calculation  to  the  time  of  William  the 
Conqueror,  it  will  be  found  that  each  living  person  must 
have  had  at  that  time  even  the  enormous  number  of 
35,000,000  of  ancestors.  Now,  supposing  we  make  the 
usual  allowance  for  the  crossing  or  intermarrying  of 
families  in  a  genealogical  line,  and  for  the  same  person 
being  in  many  of  the  intersections  of  the  family  tree, 
still  there  will  remain  a  number  at  that  period  even  to 
cover  the  whole  Norman  and  An.o^lo-Saxorx  race's.  What, 
therefore,  might  have  been  pious,  princely,  kmgly,  or 
aristocratic,  stands  side  by  side  in  line  with  the  most 
ignoble,  plebeian  or  democratic.  Each  man  of  the  pres- 
ent day  may  be  certain  of  having  had,  not  only  barons 
and  squires,  but  even  crowned  heads,  dukes,  princes  f# 


l82  CURIOUS  FACTS^ 

bishops,  or  renowned  generals,    barristers,    physicians, 
etc.,  among  his  ancestors. 

How  a  Baby  Opens  Its  Mental  Eyes. 

Professor  Preyer  records  that  sensibility  to  light, 
touch,  temperature,  smell  and  taste  are  present  on  the 
first  day  of  infant  life.  Hearing,  therefore,  is  the  only 
special  sense  which  is  not  active  at  this  time.  The 
child  hears  by  the  third  or  fourth  day.  Taste  and  smell 
are  senses  at  first  most  active,  but  they  are  not  dif- 
ferentiated. General  organic  sensations  of  well-being 
or  discomfort  are  felt  from  the  first,  but  pain  and  pleas- 
ure, as  mental  states,  are  not  noted  till  at  or  near  the 
second  month. 

The  first  sign  of  speech  in  the  shape  of  utterance  of 
consonant  sounds  is  heard  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
second  month,  these  consonants  being  generally  "  m," 
a  ^ji  a  ^„  ^j.  u  ^  >,  ^ij  ^YiQ  movements  of  the  eyes  be- 
come co-ordinate  by  the  fourth  month,  and  by  this  time 
the  child  begins  to  have  "  the  feeling  of  self,"  that  is, 
he  looks  at  his  own  hands  and  looks  at  himself  in  the 
mirror.  The  study  of  the  child's  mind  during  the  first 
year  shows  conclusively  that  ideas  develop  and  reason- 
ing processes  occur  before  there  is  any  knowledge  of 
words  or  language;  though  it  may  be  assumed  that  the 
child  thinks  in  symbols,  visual  or  auditory,  which  are 
clumsy  equivalents  for  words.  By  the  end  of  the  year 
the  child  begins  to  express  itself  by  sounds;  that  is, 
speech  begins.  The  development  of  this  speech  capacity 
is,  according  to  Preyer,  in  accordance  with  the  de- 
velopment of  the  intellectual  powers.  By  the  end  of  the 
second  year  the  child's  power  of  speech  is  practically 
acquired. 

The  Psychology  of  Joking. 

Dr.  Hughlings-Jackson  regards  punning  as  the  lowest 
stage  of  the  evolution  of  humor,  but  even  in  the  pun 
he  sees  a  material  for  the  study  of  normal  mentation. 
In  a  pun  we  have  two  ideas  called  to  the  mind  at  once 
— a  double  vision,  as  it  were;  and,  as  all  thought  is  the 
comparison  of  relations,  this  is  simply  a  caricature  of 


CURIOUS  FACTS  183 

the  normal  process  of  thought.  Again,  the  world  owes 
a  great  debt  to  the  first  punster,  because  he  began  the 
"  play  "  of  the  mind  (in  the  same  sense  as  art  is  founded 
on  the  play  instinct),  and  so  detached  himself  from  the 
grossly  useful,  and  showed  a  surplus  energy  capable  of 
developing  into  the  highest  traits  of  mankind.  To  lack 
a  sense  of  humor  is  a  bad  thing,  "  The  man  who  has 
no  sense  of  humor,  who  takes  things  to  be  literally  as 
distinct  as  they  superficially  appear,  does  not  see  funda- 
mental similarities  in  the  midst  of  great  superficial  dif- 
ferences, overlooks  the  transitions  between  great  con- 
trasts. I  do  not  mean  because  he  has  no  sense  of 
humor,  but  because  he  has  not  the  surplus  intellect  which 
sense  of  humor  implies." 

How  to  Kead  a  Book. 

Lord '  Macauley,  in  recalling  some  instances  of  his 
childhood,  said :  "  When  a  boy  I  began  to  read  very 
earnestly,  but  at  the  foot  of  every  page  I  read  I  stopped 
and  obliged  myself  to  give  an  account  of  what  I  had 
read  on  that  page.  At  first  I  had  to  read  it  three  or 
four  times  before  I  got  my  mind  firmly  fixed.  But  I 
compelled  myself  to  comply  with  the  plan,  until  now, 
after  I  have  read  a  book  through  once,  I  can  almost  re- 
cite it  from  the  beginning  to  the  end." 

Posy  and  Motto  Bings. 

Posy  rings  came  into  vogue  with  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. These  were  motto  rings,  and  they  form  one  of  the 
most  interesting  chapters  of  ring  lore.  It  is  said  that 
the  famous  ring  which  Essex  sent  to  Queen  Elizabeth 
by  the  Countess  of  Nottingham,  but  which  the  wilful 
woman  did  not  deliver  until  after  the  duke's  death,  was 
a  posy.  These  rings  were  common  between  lovers  and 
friends  all  over  Europe.  They  bore  rhyming  mottoes 
and  afifectionate  sentiment,  and  the  lady  without  a  posy 
ring  was  looked  upon  as  forlorn,  and  with  but  few  hopes 
of  marriage  ahead. 

Shakespeare  knew  the  posy  ring,  for  in  the  ''  Merchant 
of  Venice  "  he  makes  Gratiano  and  Nerissa  say : 


l84  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Gratiano— 

About  a  hoop  of  gold,  a  paltry  ring, 
That  she  did  give  me,  whose  posy  was, 
For  all  the  world  like  cutler's  poetry 
Upon  a  knife,  "  Love  me,  love  me  not." 

Nerissa — 

What  talk  you  of  the  posy,  or  the  value? 
You  swore  to  me  when  I  did  give  it  you, 
That  you  would  wear  it  till  your  hour  of  death. 

Some  of  the  mottoes  on  the  old  posy  rings  are  beauti- 
fully quaint.  The  list  of  them  is  entirely  too  long  to  be 
embodied  in  this  article,  but  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving 
a  few. 

"  In  thee   my  choice,  I   do  rejoice." 

"  May  God  above  increase  our  love." 

**  Not  two  but  one  till  life  is  done." 

"  My  heart  and  I  until  I  die." 

"  As  gold  is  pure,   so  love  is  sure." 

"  As  long  as  life,  your  loving  wife." 

"  Love  is  sure  where  faith  is  pure." 

"  Love  is  heaven,  and  heaven  is  love." 

"  Not  for  a  day,  but,  love,  for  aye." 

"  When  this  you   see,   then   think   of  me." 

"  In  gold  I'm  cast  to  bind  two  fast." 

**  My  heart  is  thine,  true  love  of  mine." 

T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

Medicinal  Vegetables. 

Celery  acts  upon  the  nervous  system,  and  it  is  a  cure 
for  rheumatism  and  neuralgia.  Tomatoes  stimulate  the 
liver,  and  spinach  and  common  dandelion,  prepared  in 
the  same  way,  have  a  direct  effect  on  diseases  of  the 
kidney.  Onions,  garlic,  and  olives  promote  digestion 
by  stimulating  the  circulatory  system,  with  the  conse- 
quent increase  of  the  saHva  and  gastric  juice.  Raw 
onions  are  also  regarded  as  a  remedy  for  sleeplessness, 
and  the  French  believe  that  onion  soup  is  an  excellent 
tonic  in  cases  of  debility  of  the  digestive  organs. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  185 

Propagation  of  Date  Palms. 

The  date  palms,  which  form  the  wealth  of  the  Arabs 
of  the  desert,  are  all  female;  the  male  or  pollen  bearing 
flowers  of  the  date  kind  always  grow  on  a  separate  tree ; 
and  as  pollen  is  produced  by  them  in  vast  quantities,  it 
is  not  necessary  in  palm  groves  to  have  more  than  a 
single  male  stem  to  some  forty  or  fifty  fruit  bearing  in- 
dividuals. The  Arabs,  therefore,  never  raise  their  palms 
from  seed,  as  they  cannot  make  sure  of  the  sex  of  seed- 
lings; they  take  suckers  from  the  root  of  a  female  tree, 
already  known  to  be  a  good  bearer  of  fine  fruit;  and 
these  suckers  not  only  follow  the  sex  of  the  so-called 
mother,  but  also  reproduce  its  special  peculiarities  of 
flower  and  seed  in  every  respect. 

Killing  Trees  that  Sprout. 

The  best  way  to  get  rid  of  willows  or  other  trees  liable 
to  sprout  from  the  stump  is  to  girdle  them  and  let  them 
stand  until  thev  cease  to  produce  leaves.  The  silver 
maple  frequently  sends  up  sprouts  which  occupy  the 
ground  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  tree.  If  the  tree  is  girdled,  and  all  the  sprouts 
are  cut  close  to  the  ground  in  August,  there  will  be  no 
trouble  with  them  afterward.  Some  kinds  of  timber 
trees  having  a  very  thin  sap  wood  can  be  killed  very 
quickly  by  girdling. 

The  Monkey  Bread  Tree. 

The  baobob  or  monkey  bread  tree  is  another  most 
extraordinary  production  of  nature.  Imagine  to  your- 
self a  tree  30  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  only  40 
feet  high,  with  the  trunk  rapidly  diminishing  toward  the 
top,  and  then  spreading  out  into  what  looks  like  a  little 
forest.  In  one  of  the  old  trees  the  branches  form  a 
spherical  head  100  to  150  feet  in  diameter,  the  centre 
branch  rising  to  the  height  of  sixty  feet,  while  others 
drop  over  the  main  trunk,  and  conceal  it  from  view. 
Some  of  these  trees  have  been  hollowed  out,  and  a  space 
made  large  enough  to  hold  twenty  to  thirty  men  without 
any  apparent  injury  to  the  tree.     The  baobob  must  be 


i86  CURIOUS  FACTS, 

the  slowest  growing  plant  in  the  world,  as  it  is  supposed 
to  be  one  of  the  oldest.  A  tree  has  been  cultivated  in 
the  gardens  of  Kew,  England,  over  forty  years,  and  thus 
far  it  has  attained  the  height  of  only  41-2  feet.  Some 
of  these  trees  are  estimated  to  be  5,000  years  old,  and 
dates  are  cut  in  the  bark  which  were  made  in  the  four- 
teenth century. 

Trees  with  I^arge  Leaves. 

Trees  of  the  palm  family  have  larger  leaves  than  any 
others.  The  Inaja  palm,  which  grows  on  the  banks  of 
the  Amazon,  has  leaves  which  reach  a  length  of  from 
30  to  50  feet  and  are  10  to  12  feet  in  breadth.  Speci- 
mens of  the  leaves  of  the  Talipot  palm,  a  native  of 
Ceylon,  have  been  met  with  that  were  20  feet  long  and 
18  feet  broad.  These  leaves  are  used  by  the  natives  to 
make  tents  and  form  very  efficient  shelters  from  the 
rain.  The  leaves  of  the  double  cocoanut  palm  are  often 
30  feet  long  and  several  feet  wide. 

The  Most  MToted  Dog. 

The  most  famous  dog  in  history  is  that  of  Ulysses, 
which  kept  itself  alive  for  twenty  years  in  anticipation 
of  his  return,  and  when  he  did  return  in  disguise,  to 
find  forty-two  suitors  for  his  wife's  hand — living  at  his 
expense — was  the  only  living  creature  that  recognized 
him.  Then,  of  course,  as  the  fable  prettily  adds,  it 
crawled  to  his  side,  licked  his  hand  and  died. 

It  was  a  Greek  who  next  brought  the  dog  prominently 
into  history.  Alcibiades,  wishing  to  distract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Athenians  from  his  political  schemes,  cut  off 
the  ears  and  tail  of  his  favorite  dog,  painted  his  sides 
in  different  colors,  and,  whistling  the  monster  to  his 
heels,  promenaded  the  agora  or  market  place. 

When  asked  why  he  had  so  maltreated  the  poor  brute, 
he  replied :  "  To  give  the  Athenians  something  to  talk 
about."  This  was  the  origin  of  the  phrase,  **  cutting 
off  the  tail  of  Alcibiades'  dog,"  the  application  of  which 
is  obvious. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  187 

An  Irresistible  Bait  for  Bats. 

An  interesting,  not  to  say  valuable,  discovery  has  been 
made  by  Captain  Weedin,  in  charge  of  the  animals  at 
the  Zoo.  The  building  is  infested  by  rats,  and  how  to 
get  rid  of  them  has  long  been  a  perplexing  question. 
Traps  were  used,  but  nothing  would  tempt  the  rodent  to 
enter.  In  a  store  room  drawer  was  placed  a  quantity 
of  sunflower  seeds,  used  as  a  food  for  some  of  the  birds. 
Into  this  drawer  the  rats  gnawed  their  way,  a  fact  which 
led  the  captain  to  experiment  with  them  for  the  bait 
in  the  traps.  The  result  was  that  the  rats  can't  be  kept 
out.  A  trap  which  appears  crowded  with  six  or  eight 
rats  is  found  some  mornings  to  hold  fifteen.  They  are 
turned  into  cages  containing  weasels  and  minks.  The 
latter  will  kill  a  rat  absolutely  almost  before  one  can 
see  it,  so  rapid  are  its  movements.  The  weasels  are  a 
trifle  slower,  but  none  of  the  rats  escape  them. — Wash- 
ington Cor.  Cincinnati  Commercial. 

To  Stop  a  Runaway  Horse. 

The  Russian  method  for  stopping  a  runaway  horse  is 
said  to  be  very  effective,  and  is  not  particularly  cruel. 
They  place  a  cord  with  a  running  knot  around  the 
horse's  neck  near  the  neck  straps.  To  this  slip  noose 
attach  a  pair  of  reins,  which  may  be  thrown  over  the 
dashboard  ready  to  be  seized  at  once.  When  the  horse 
starts  take  up  the  extra  reins,  and  tighten  the  cord 
around  the  horse's  throat.  The  most  furious  horse  thus 
choked  stops  instantly,  and  will  not  kick  or  fall. 


Weather  Told  by  Animals. 

If  a  cat  sneeze  it  is  a  sign  of  rain. 

The  goat  utters  a  peculiar  cry  before  rain. 

When  the  fox  barks  at  night  it  will  storm. 

The  sand  mole  makes  a  mournful  noise  just  before 
frost. 

If  rats  and  mice  make  much  noise  it  indicates  rain. 

If  the  deer's  coat  be  gray  in  October  a  severe  winter 
will  follow. 


l88  CURIOUS  FACTS 

If  the  dog  eats  grass  in  the  morning  it  will  surely 
rain  before  night. 

If  the  tracks  of  bear  are  seen  after  the  first  snow  fall, 
look  for  a  mild  winter. 

The  wind  will  blow  from  the  point  the  cat  faces  when 
she  washes  her  face,  and  fair  weather  will  follow. 

If  the  bull  goes  first  to  pasture,  it  will  rain;  if  the 
cows  precede  him  the  weather  will  be  uncertain. 

It  is  a  sign  of  rain  if  the  cat  washes  her  head  be- 
hind the  ear.    Cats  rub  against  an  object  before  a  storm. 

Sheep  are  said  to  ascend  hills  and  scatter  before  clear 
weather,  but  if  they  bleat  and  seek  shelter  it  will  snow. 

If  the  dog  digs  a  deep  hole  in  the  ground,  or  howls 
when  one  leaves  the  house,  or  refuses  meat,  it  indicates 
rain. 

If  the  hair  of  a  horse  grows  long  early  the  winter 
will  be  mild.  The  hair  of  a  horse  becomes  rough  be- 
fore rain,  and  they  are  frisky  before  a  cold  wave,  and 
restless  and  uneasy  before   a  rain. 

Sailors  do  not  like  cats,  and  they  have  a  saying  when 
the  cat  is  frisky  she  has  a  gale  of  wind  in  her  tail,  and 
a  charm  is  often  resorted  to  in  a  calm  by  throwing  the 
cat  overboard  to  raise  a  storm. 

If  cows  fail  in  their  milk  look  for  stormy  and  cold 
w^eather.  If  they  bellow  in  the  evening  it  will  snow 
before  morning,  and  when  a  cow  stops  and  shakes  her 
foot  there  is  bad  weather  behind  her. 

If  cattle  lie  down  early  in  the  day  expect  rain,  also 
when  they  lick  their  fore  feet,  lie  on  the  right  side, 
scratch  against  posts,  when  they  refuse  to  go  to  pasture 
in  the  morning,  and  when  they 'low  and  look  at  the  sky. 

Hogs  run  with  sticks  and  straws  in  their  mouths  be- 
fore cold  weather,  and  carry  leaves  and  make  them  warm 
beds.  There  is  an  old  proverb  that  '*  pigs  can  see  the 
wind,"  as  they  are  restless  and  squeal  loudly  before  a 
storm. 

A  Hungarian  proverb  says  a  cat  does  not  die  in  the 
water,  but  its  paws  disturb  the  surface,  hence  the  flaws 
on  the  water  are  called  "  cat's  paws ;  "  a  large  flurry 
on  the  water  is  called  a  "  cat's  skin,"  and  the  English 
call  a   stormy  north-wester  a  *'  cat's  nose." 


CURIOUS  FACTS  189 

A  Dog  Habit. 

It  has  been  remarked  that  dogs  turn  around  several 
times  before  lying  down.  The  habit  is  supposed  to  point 
to  the  time  in  canine  history  when  the  dog  was  wild 
and  inhabited  jungles  or  tall  grass.  Then  it  was  neces- 
sary to  turn  several  times  in  order  to  twist  the  grass 
into  the  proper  position  for  pressing  down  into  a  com- 
fortable nest.  The  habit  became  fixed  and  the  modern 
dog  has  not  outgrown  it. 

Early  Bridges. 

The  first  bridges  were  of  wood,  and  the  earliest  of 
which  we  have  any  account  was  built  in  Rome  500  years 
13.  c.  The  next  was  erected  by  Julius  Caesar  for  the 
passa'ge  of  his  army  across  the  Rhine.  Trajan's  great 
bridge  over  the  Danube,  4,770  feet  long,  was  made  of 
timber,  with  stone  piers.  The  Romans  also  built  the 
first  stone  bridge,  which  crossed  the  Tiber.  Suspension 
bridges  are  of  remote  origin.  A  Chinese  one  mentioned 
by  Kirchen,  made  of  chains  supporting  a  roadway  830 
feet  in  length,  was  built  a.  d.  65,  and  is  still  to  be  seen. 
The  first  large  iron  bridge  was  erected  over  the  Severn 
in  1777. 

The  Surface  of  Mars. 

Through  the  agency  of  the  Lick  telescope  the  surface 
of  the  planet  Mars  has  been  mapped  out  with  additional 
clearness.  The  canals,  which  can  be  very  plainly  seen, 
lie  in  the  torrid,  and  warmer  portions  of  the  temperate 
zone,  and  extend  from  the  Northern  to  the  Southern 
ocean.  They  are  in  general  2,000  or  3,000  miles  in 
length  and  over  30  miles  in  breadth.  They  are  generally 
arranged  in  pairs  200  or  300  miles  apart,  and  so  ex- 
actly parallel  that  usually  no  deviation  can  be  detected. 
They  cut  up  the  continent  surface  so  there  is  no  spot 
more  than  400  miles  distant  from  one  of  these  markings. 
There  is  still  much  surmise  as  to  whether  these  as- 
sumed canals  are  artificial  or  natural.  It  is  argued  that 
they  cannot  be  artificial  because  of  their  great  width, 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  |equally  inconceivable  that 
the  forces  of  nature  could  by  the  laws  of  accident  have 


100  CURIOUS  FACTS 

constructed  such  an  intricate  system  of  marking  and 
observed  an  equal  width  in  every  case.  The  late  Pro- 
fessor Proctor  suggested  that  the  canals  are  the  dif- 
fracted images  of  rivers,  produced  by  mists  which  hang 
over  the  river  beds. 

Coffee  Among  the  Arabs. 

The  great  event  of  the  visit  is  the  coffee.  The  host 
has  a  kind  of  brazen  shovel  brought,  in  which  he  roasts 
the  beans;  then  he  takes  a  pestle  and  mortar  of  the  oak 
of  Bashan,  and  with  his  own  hands  he  pounds  it  to 
powder,  making  the  hard  oak  ring  forth  a  song  of  wel- 
come to  the  guest.  Many  of  these  pestles  and  mortars 
are  heirlooms,  and  are  richly  ornamented  and  beauti- 
fully black  and  polished  by  age  and  use;  such  was  the 
one  in  question.  Having  drunk  coffee  (for  the  honored 
guest  the  cup  is  filled  three  times),  you  are  quite  safe 
in  the  hands  of  the  most  murderous. 

So  far  do  they  carry  this  superstition  that  a  man 
who  had  murdered  another  fled  to  the  dead  man's  father, 
and  before  he  knew  what  had  happened  drank  coffee. 
Presently  friends  came  in,  and,  as  they  were  relating 
the  news  to  the  bereaved  father,  recognized  the  mur- 
derer crouchd  beside  the  fire.  They  instantly  demanded 
vengeance.  ''  No,"  said  the  father,  "  it  cannot  be ;  he 
has  drunk  coffee,  and  has  thus  become  to  me  as  my 
son."  Had  he  not  drunk  coffee  the  father  would  never 
have  rested  until  he  had  dyed  his  hands  in  his  blood. 
As  it  was,  it  is  said  he  further  gave  him  his  daughter 
to  wife. — Last  Journal  of  Bishop  Hannington. 

How  the  Turks  Make  Coffee. 

The  Turks,  without  being  scientific,  are  practical. 
They  have  learned  from  experience,  and  pulverize  their 
coffee  to  a  powder  in  a  marble  mortar  and  pass  it 
through  a  fine  sieve.  When  semi-pulverized  more  than 
half  the  material  is  lost,  and  with  it  the  benefits.  The 
Turks  combine  the  two  to  advantage  in  the  following 
manner: — They  take  of  the  finely  pulverized  coffee  half 
the  quantity  ordinarily  used  in  this  country,  or  about 
a  teaspoonful  for  each  cup;  put  it  in  an  ordinary  coffee 


CURIOUS  FACTS  191 

pot  of  the  form  of  a  truncated  cone,  pour  over  it  boiling 
water  and  stir  it  thoroughly.  They  set  the  pot  on  a 
gentle  fire  to  accelerate  the  chemical  combination  of  the 
particles  with  the  water.  In  the  process  of  ebullition 
the  particles  afloat  will  gather  on  the  surface,  forming 
a  thick  cream,  which  serves  as  a  cover  and  prevents  the 
aroma  contained  in  the  essential  oil  from  evaporating. 
When  it  commences  to  boil  the  surface  cream  rises  to 
overflowing,  to  prevent  which  the  pot  is  taken  off  the 
fire  to  permit  the  boiling  to  subside.  This  operation 
is  repeated  several  times,  until  the  creamy  surface  has 
thinned,  ready  to  break  or  bubble.  Then  the  pot  is 
taken  down,  covered  up  and  set  to  rest  in  a  warm 
corner  of  the  range  for  about  five ,  or  six  minutes  to 
settle.  When  served  it  is  decanted  gently  so  as  not  to 
disturb  the  sediment.  Thus  is  prepared  the  famous 
Turkish  cafe  noir,  or  black  coffee,  for  they  use  neither 
sugar  nor  milk. 

Why  33,000  Pounds  is  a  Horse  Power. 

When  men  begin  first  to  become  familiar  with  the 
methods  of  measuring  mechanical  power,  they  often 
speculate  on  where  the  breed  of  horses  is  to  be  found 
which  can  keep  at  work  raising  33,000  pounds  one  foot 
per  minute,  or  the  equivalent,  which  is  familiar  to  men 
accustomed  to  pile  driving  by  horse  power,  of  raising 
330  pounds  100  feet  per  minute.  Since  33,000  pounds 
raised  one  foot  per  minute  is  called  one  horse  power,  it 
is  natural  for  people  to  think  that  the  engineers  who 
established  that  unit  of  measurement  based  it  on  the 
actual  work  performed  by  horses. 

But  such,  explains  The  Manufacturers'  Gazette,  was 
not  the  case.  The  horse  power  unit  was  established  by 
James  Watt  about  a  century  ago,  and  the  figures  were 
settled  in  a  curious  way.  Watt,  in  his  usual  careful 
manner,  proceeded  to  find  out  the  average  work  which 
the  horses  of  his  district  could  perform,  and  he  found 
that  the  raising  of  22,000  pounds  one  foot  per  minute  was 
about  an  actual  horse  power.  At  this  time  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  manufacture  of  engines,  and  had  almost  a 
monopoly  of  the  engine  building  trade.  Customers  were 
so  hard  to  find  that  all  kinds  of  artificial  encourage- 


192 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


ments  were  considered  necessary  to  induce  power  users 
to  buy  steam  engines.  As  a  method  of  encouraging  busi- 
ness, Watt  offered  to  sell  engines  reckoning  33,000  foot 
pounds  to  a  horse  power,  or  one-third  more  than  the 
actual.  And  thus,  what  was  intended  as  a  temporary 
expedient  to  promote  business  has  been  the  means  of 
giving  a  false  unit  of  a  very  important  measurement  to 
the  world. 

Legends  About  Birds. 

From  remote  antiquity  much  mysterious  lore  has  ex 
isted  on  the  subject  of  birds,  and  ornithomancy,  or  the 
science  of  divination  by  birds,  has  still  many  credulous 
believers.  The  feathery  denizens  of  the  air  were  sup- 
posed to  be  favorites  with  the  gods,  having  always  some 
subtle  connection  with  the  shadowy  region  beyond,  and, 
therefore,  endowed  with  unusual  prescience  concerning 
the  powers  of  nature. 

The  gods  of  heathendom  were  frequently  transformed 
mto  birds,  and  classical  authors  abound  in  instances  of 
ordinary  mortals  condemned  to  exist  in  bird  shape  for 
periods  of  greater  or  less  duration.  In  Vedaic  lore, 
Agni  often  appeared  as  a  falcon  or  eagle.  Zeus  or 
Jupiter  became  an  eagle  to  seduce  the  young  Ganymede, 
and  a  swan  in  order  to  make  love  to  I.eda.  King  Ar- 
thur, the  early  British  hero,  was,  said  popular  tradition, 
transformed  into  a  raven.  In  Irish  lore,  the  children  of 
Lir  were  transformed  into  swans,  to  wander  for  cen- 
turies. 

Many  of  the  ancient  gods  and  goddesses  have  as 
attributes  certain  ones  of  the  feathery  tribe.  The  eagle 
was  the  bird  of  Jove;  the  peacock,  the  goose,  and  the 
cuckoo  belonged  to  Juno;  the  owl,  symbol  of  medita- 
tion, to  Athens;  while  Apollo  also  claimed  the  goose. 
To  Mars  was  dedicated  the  woodpecker;  to  Venus  the 
sparrow  and  dove.  The  woodpecker  is  Picus,  a  sooth- 
sayer, who  failed  to  reciprocate  Circe's  love,  and  was 
metamorphosed  in  consequence.  Much  popular  lore  re- 
lates to  this  bird. 

Savages  had  many  legends  about  birds,  usually  in  con- 
nection with  meteorological  phenomena.  The  Haidah 
Indians  claim  descent  from  the  crow.    Votan,  the  Maya 


CURIOUS  FACTS  193 

hero,  is  represented  as  a  swallow,  and  the  owl  is  a  cul- 
tured hero  of  the  Tuparaguas  of  California.  The  Pinias 
say  the  eagle  caused  the  deluge. 

It  is  a  very  old  conception  that  the  soul  passes  to 
heaven  in  the  form  of  a  bird,  and  some  say  these  souls 
flutter  about  us  in  bird  shape.  The  Powhatan  tribe 
would  not  touch  wood  birds,  regarding  them  as  the 
animated  souls  of  their  dead  chiefs,  and  the  Indians 
near  St.  Anthony's  Falls  said  the  spirits  of  dead  warriors 
hovered  about  in  the  shape  of  eagles. 

The  Hurons  thought  that  turtle  doves  were  the  abodes 
of  departed  souls,  and  the  Abipones  claimed  the  same 
for  the  red  headed  duck,  regarding  it  as  an  omen  of 
death  to  see  it  flying  slowly  overhead.  Several  South 
American  tribes  entertained  similar  ideas  concerning 
many  birds. 

Thlinkeets  reverenced  Yehr,  the  creator  crow,  and 
Delawares  thought  their  guardian  spirit,  in  eagle  shape, 
hung  over  them,  and  that,  if  pleased,  corn  would  be 
plentiful,  and  the  hunting  successful,  but  if  it  were  angry, 
thunder  and  lightning  would  attend  its  rage.  The  diver 
was  sacred  among  the  Hurons,  embodying  the  souls  of 
the  dead.  The  Flatheads  say  the  speckled  duck  is  a 
metamorphosed  weeping  Indian  wife.  The  Kailla 
Indians  say  the  soul  is  carried  to  heaven  by  a  bird;  but 
a  hawk  that  follows  will  catch  it  if  it  is  impeded  by  its 
sins.  The  Ojibways  call  the  bridge  over  which  souls 
travel  "  the  owl  bridge."  This  conception  of  the  bird 
as  a  soul  is  a  common  one,  and  in  this  shape  the  soul 
is  frequently  figured  in  mediaeval  prints  as  escaping 
from  the  body. 

Several  birds  are  sacred  in  popular  lore.  The  swallow 
is  one  of  these.  A  Swedish  tradition  represents  it  as 
flying  over  the  cross  during  the  crucifixion  of  Christ, 
and  crying  '*  Svala !  svala !  "  (comfort).  Its  presence 
about  the  house  or  barn  is  an  auspicious  omen  in  most 
countries,  and  it  is  unlucky  to  disturb  its  nest. 

A  tradition  similar  to  that  given  above  is  related  of 
the  stork,  a  bird  venerated  all  over  Europe.  Swedish 
legends  say  that  it  flew  about  the  cross,  saying  "  Styrka ! 
styrka!"  (strengthen).  And  it  is  therefore  a  bird  of 
good  omen. 


194  >        CURIOUS  FACTS 

There  are  three  of  the  smaller  birds  common  to  many 
countries,  which  are  also  regarded  as  sacred.  These 
are  the  robin,  the  wren,  and  the  cuckoo.  In  Scotland 
the  robin  is  never  molested,  for  it  is  said  to  have  a 
drop  of  God's  blood  in  it. 

A  Breton  tradition  alleges  that  the  wren  brought  fire 
from  heaven,  but  lost  a  part  of  its  plumage.  There  is 
a  popular  legend  that  this  little  bird  claimed  the  title 
of  king  of  birds  by  a  contest  with  the  eagle  as  to  which 
could  mount  the  highest.  Perched  upon  the  back  of 
the  larger  bird,  the  little  wren  soared  beyond  its  com- 
petitor and  won  the  title. 

The  cuckoo  bears  a  character  in  popular  lore  much 
like  that  of  the  wren.  It  is  more  of  a  prophet,  how- 
ever. 

The  dove  is  a  well  known  emblem  of  fidelity  and  gen- 
tleness. As  the  sign  of  incarnation  and  of  immortality 
it  has  always  been  sacred  to  Christians. 

The  eagle  is  the  subject  of  much  popular  lore. 

An  old  superstition  declares  that  the  king  of  birds 
ascends  into  the  fiery  regions  about  the  sun  once  in  ten 
years,  and  then  plunges  into  the  sea  to  renew  its  youth. 

A  popular  idea,  dating  from  antiquity,  was  that  of  the 
dyTng  swan,  whose  sweet  notes  were  heard  only  just 
before  its  dissolution. 

The  pelican  was  also  the  subject  of  a  curious  tradi- 
tion. She  was  said  to  pierce  her  breast  to  feed  her 
young;  and  it  was  also  asserted  that  young  pelicans 
were  hatched  dead,  and  the  cock  revived  them  by  a 
drop  of  blood  from  his  breast. 

Another  equally  ancient  superstition  was  that  con- 
cerning the  kingfisher,  which  brought  good  weather 
(halcyon  days)  while  sitting  on  her  eggs.  Pliny,  Virgil, 
and  many  other  ancient  authors  refer  to  this  super- 
stition.— F.  S.  Bassett. 

The  Famous  Carthusian  Table. 

Not  a  great  way  from  Monterey,  Mexico,  is  the 
famous  Carthusian  table,  one  of  the  greatest  natural 
curiosities  on  the  continent.  It  is  a  table  land  1,400  feet 
high  and  2,500  above  sea  level.  The  figure  of  the  table 
land   is   an  almost  perfect  crescent,   running  east  and 


CURIOUS  FACTS  I95 

west,  and  on  its  summit  is  more  than  80,000  acres  of 
perfectly  level  land,  abounding  in  running  water.  The 
only  way  to  reach  the  top  is  by  a  perilous  road  five  feet 
wide  and  three  miles  long.  This  singular  mountain  was 
named  for  the  Carthusian  monks  by  a  former  tribe  of 
Indians  who  occupied  it  and  were  taught  by  the  fathers. 
It  is  now  owned  as  a  summer  resort  by  Senor  Don 
Patrico  Melmo,  a  rich  banker  of  Monterey,  a  lucky 
Irishman  who  in  his  native  land  was  known  as  plain 
Pat  Mullens. 

The  Mexican  Monolith.. 

The  removal  of  the  great  monolith, '  the  goddess  of 
water,  from  the  ancient  Mexican  city  of  Teotihuacan, 
attracted  widespread  attention  among  scientific  men. 
The  top  of  the  statue  was  below  the  surface  of  the 
surrounding  plain,  and  as  it  was  over  ten  feet  lower, 
it  is  seen  that  the  task  of  its  removal  was  no  ordinary 
one.  it  is  of  granite,  contains  2^  1-2  cubic  feet  of  solid 
rock.  Its  weight  is  estimated  at  25  tons.  A  temporary 
railroad  track,  nearly  three  miles  long,  was  laid  from 
the  station  on  the  Mexican  railway  over  to  the  place 
where  the  statue  now  stands.  Its  age  is  supposed  to  be 
about  1,400  years. 

A  Heavy  Family. 

A  family  which  claims  the  honor  of  being  the  heaviest 
in  Kennebec  county  is  that  of  William  Merrill,  of  Gar- 
diner. Mr.  Merrill  himself  weighs  303,  Mrs.  Merrill, 
264;  the  eldest  daughter,  300;  a  younger  daughter,  260, 
and  the  only  son,  215 — a  total  fortune  of  1,342  pounds. 
— Lewis  ton  (Me.)  Journal. 

Gems  and  their  'Composition. 

The  ruby  is  not  called  a  ruby  because  it  is  red,  for, 
the  topaz,  which  may  be  yellow  or  a  delicate  wine  color, 
and  the  sapphire,  which  is  blue,  or  both  rubies.  The 
humble  toiler  consoling  himself  with  his  clay  tobacco 
pipe,  the  potter  moulding  the  plastic  clay  into  shape 
upon  his  magic  wheel,  or  the  delver  in  damp  slate 
quarries,  probably  does  not  know  that  his  pipe  and  his 
clay  and  his  brittle  slate  are  of  the  very  substance  from 


196  CURIOUS  PACTS 

which  the  flaming  Oriental  ruby,  the  mellow  topaz  and 
the  rich  sapphire  are  evolved;  but  such  is  the  fact. 
They  are  among  the  most  beautiful  of  gems,  yet  are 
but  simple  crystals  of  a  siliceous  earth — mere  bits  of 
alumina.  The  glorious  blue  light  that  lurks  within  the 
sapphire  is  the  chemical  action  of  one  grain  of  iron 
on  every  100  grains  of  alumina.  The  red  ruby  owes  its 
brightness  and  hue  to  a  mingling  of  chronic  acid  with 
the  parent  clay. 

Different  from  the  Oriental  topaz  is  the  topaz  from 
Brazil,  which,  beautiful  as  it  is,  is  nothing  but  a  com- 
pound of  silica  or  flint  and  alumina,  which  also  make 
the  garnet  and  largely  compose  the  Occidental  emerald 
and  the  beryl  stone.  These  two  stones  also  contain  an 
earth  known  as  glucina,  so  called  because  of  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  salts  discovered  in  it. 

The  diamond  is  the  king  of  gems,  a  monarch  blazing 
like  the  sun,  and  the  opal  is  its  moonlight  queen.  Yet, 
as  every  one  knows,  the  diamond  is  only  a  chip  of  coal 
and  the  opal,  as  every  one  does  not  know,  is  simply  a 
mingling  of  silica  and  water.  But  the  diamond  is  the 
spiritual  evolution  of  coal,  the  realization  of  its  highest 
being.  Ten  parts  of  water  and  ninety  parts  of  silica 
combined  in  the  mystic  crucible  of  nature  form  the  opal, 
the  water  giving  to  the  gem  that  shifting,  changeable, 
iridescent  coloring  which  is  the  opal's  peculiar  charm. 
Who  would  imagine  that  the  fire  in  the  opal  is  not  fire 
at  all,  but,  of  all  things,  water !  And  yet  the  silica  that 
holds  the  radiant  moisture  captive  is  the  common  flint 
from  which  our  forefathers  struck  the  igniting  sparks 
into  their  tinder  boxes. 

But  the  opal  is  not  the  only  precious  stone  that  owes 
its  being  to  flint.  The  amethyst,  the  cat's  eye,  the 
Egyptian  jasper — all  are  idealizations  of  the  ultimate 
efforts  of  natural  chemistry  acting  on  silica.  What  is 
the  lapislazuli?  A  bit  of  common  earth  painted  through- 
out with  sulphuret  of  sodium.  And  the  turquois — what 
forms  it?  and  how  did  it  receive  its  soft,  pale  blue  color? 
The  turquois  is  phosphate  of  alumina,  and  copper  in  the 
earth  gave  it  its  lovely  hue.  Chrysolite  is  the  pure  sili- 
cate of  magnesia.  Of  the  rare  decorative  stones  and 
marbles,   if  there  were  no  carbonate    of    copper    the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  197 

seeker  after  malachite  would  find  his  search  fruitless 
and  the  sculptor  would  sigh  in  vain  for  the  matchless 
Carrara  marble  if  there  were  no  carbonate  of  lime. 

What   Ambergris   Is. 

Ambergris,  which  is  used  as  a  basis  for  nearly  all 
standard  perfumery,  was  first  found  an  unattractive 
mass  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  or  lodged  upon 
the  shore.  How  so  unlikely  a  substance  ever  sug- 
gested itself  as  a  perfume  is  unknown,  but  it  has  been 
in  use  for  centuries,  and  it  is  only  until  comparatively 
recent  times  that  its  origin  has  become  known.  It  is 
nothing  more  than  the  morbid  secretion  of  the  liver 
of  a  sick  spermaceti  whale.  It  is  described  as  a  fatty, 
waxy  substance,  disagreeable  to  sight  or  touch,  but  even 
in  its  crude  state  exhaling  a  pleasant  odor.  The  crude 
substance  is  subjected  to  chemical  action  to  extract  the 
active  principle  called  aniberine.  It  was  recently  re- 
ported that  a  Maine  fisherman  picked  up  a  mass  of  the 
substance  which  nearly  filled  a  barrel  and  is  worth 
$25,000.  This  is  probably  an  exaggeration,  both  as  to 
size  and  price,  for  the  largest  piece  on  record  was  found 
at  the  Windward  Islands,  weighing  130  pounds.  This 
was  sold  for  about  $2,600. 

Superstitions  About  Babies. 

In  Ireland  a  belt  made  of  a  woman's  hair  is  placed 
about  a  child  to  keep  harm  away. 

Garlic,  salt,  bread,  and  steak  are  put  into  the  cradle 
of  a  new  born  babe  in  Holland. 

Roumanian  mothers  tie  red  ribbons  around  the  ankles 
of  their  children  to  preserve  them  from  harm,  while 
Esthonian  mothers  attach  bits  of  asafetida  to  the  necks 
of  their  offspring. 

Welsh  mothers  put  a  pair  of  tongs  or  a  knife  in  the 
cradle  to  insure  the  safety  of  their  children;  the  knife 
is  also  used  for  the  same  purpose  in  some  parts  of  Eng- 
land. 

Among  Vosges  peasants  children  born  at  a  new  moon 
are  supposed  to  have  their  tongues  better  hung  than 
others,   while  those  born  at  the  last  quarter  are  sup- 


iqS 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


posed  to  have  less  tongue  but  better  reasoning  powers. 
A  daughter  born  during  the  waxing  moon  is  always 
precocious. 

At  the  birth  of  a  child  in  Lower  Brittany  the  neigh- 
boring women  take  it  in  charge,  wash  it  crack  its  joints, 
and  rub  its  head  with  oil  to  solder  the  cranium  bones. 
It  is  then  wrapped  in  a  tight  bundle  and  its  lips  are 
anointed  with  brandy  to  make  it  a  full  Breton. 

The  Grecian  mother,  before  putting  her  child  in  its 
cradle,  turns  three  times  around  before  the  fire  while 
singing  her  favorite  song  to  ward  off  evil  spirits. 

In  Scotland,  it  is  said  that  to  rock  the  empty  cradle 
will  insure  the  coming  of  other  occupants  for  it. 

The  Swedish  mother  places  a  book  under  the  head  of 
the  new  born  infant  that  it  may  be  quick  at  reading, 
and  puts  money  into  the  first  bath  to  guarantee  its 
wealth  in  the  future. 

The  Turkish  mother  loads  her  child  with  amulets  as 
soon  as  it  is  born,  and  a  small  bit  of  mud  steeped  in 
hot  water  prepared  by  previous  charms,  is  stuck  on  its 
forehead. 

In  Spain  the  infant's  face  is  swept  with  a  pine  tree 
bough  to  bring  good  luck. 

Why  we  are  Right-Handed. 

Primitive  man,  being  by  nature  a  fighting  animal, 
fought  for  the  most  part  at  first  with  his  great  canine 
teeth,  his  nails,  and  his  fists,  till  in  process  of  time  he 
added  to  those  early  and  natural  weapons  the  further 
persuasions  of  a  club  or  shillalah.  He  also  fought,  as 
Darwin  has  conclusively  shown,  in  the  main  for  the 
possession  of  the  ladies  of  his  kind,  against  other  mem- 
bers of  his  own  sex  and  species.  And  if  you  fight  you 
soon  learn  to  protect  the  most  exposed  and  vulnerable 
portion  of  your  body.  Or,  if  you  don't,  natural  selec- 
tion manages  it  for  you,  by  killing  you  off  as  an  imme- 
diate consequence. 

To  the  boxer,  wrestler,  or  hand-to-hand  combatant, 
that  most  vulnerable  portion  is  undoubtedly  the  heart. 
A  hard  blow,  well  delivered,  on  the  left  breast,  will  easily 
kill,  or  at  any  rate,  stun  a  strong  man.  Hence,  from  an 
early  period,   men   have   used  the  right  hand  to  fight 


CURIOUS  FACTS  199 

with,  and  have  employed  the  left  arm  chiefly  to  cover 
the  heart  and  to  parry  a  blow  aimed  at  that  specially 
vulnerable  region.  And  when  weapons  of  offence  and 
defence  supersede  mere  fists  and  teeth,  it  is  the  right 
hand  that  grasps  the  spear  or  sword,  while  the  left 
holds  over  the  heart  for  defence  the  shield  or  buckler. 

From  this  simple  origin  then,  the  whole  vast  difference 
of  right  and  left  in  civilized  life  takes  its  beginning. 
At  first,  no  doubt,  the  superiority  of  the  right  hand  was 
only  felt  in  the  manner  of  fighting.  But  that  alone  gave 
it  a  distinct  pull,  and  paved  the  way  at  last  for  the 
supremacy  elsewhere.  For  when  weapons  came  into 
use,  the  habitual  employment  of  the  right  hand  to  grasp 
the  spear,  sword,  or  knife,  made  the  nerves  or  muscles 
of  the  right  side  far  more  obedient  to  the  control  of 
the  will  than  those  of  the  left.  The  dexterity  thus  ac- 
quired by  the  right — see  how  the  word  "  dexterity  '* 
implies  this  fact — made  it  more  natural  for  the  early 
hunter  and  artificer  to  employ  the  same  hand  perferen- 
tially  in  the  manufacture  of  flint  hatchets,  bows  and 
arrows,  and  all  the  other  manifold  activities  of  savage 
life.  It  was  the  hand  with  which  he  grasped  his  weapon ; 
it  was  therefore  the  hand  with  which  he  chipped  it. 
To  the  end,  however,  the  right  hand  remains  especially 
"  the  hand  in  which  you  hold  your  knife ;  "  and  that  is 
exactly  how  your  own  children  to  this  day  decide  the 
question  which  is  which,  when  they  begin  to  know  their 
right  hand  from  their  left  for  practical  purposes. — Hall's 
Journal  of  Health. 

Large  Crhurches. 

St.  Peter's,  Rome,  will  accommodate  54,000;  Duoma, 
Milan,  37,000;  St.  Paul's  in  Rome,  25,000;  St.  Sophia, 
Constantinople,  23,000;  Notre  Dame  de  Paris,  21,000; 
the  Dome  of  Florence,  20,000;  the  Cathedral  of  Pisa, 
13,000;    St.   Marc  in  Venice,   7,000. 

Ooin  Substitutes. 

Norway  even  now  uses  corn  for  coin. 
The    skins   of   animals    were   the    earliest   forms   of 
money. 


200  CURIOUS  FACTS 

In  India  cakes  of  tea  pass  as  currency,  and  in  China 
pieces  of  silk. 

Sheep  and  oxen  among  the  old  Romans  took  the  place 
of  money. 

Oxen  form  the  circulating  medium  among  the  Zulus 
and  Kaffirs. 

Tin  to-day  forms  the  standard  of  value  at  the  great 
fairs  of  Nishni   Novgorod. 

In  the  retired  districts  of  New  Guinea  female  slaves 
form  the  standard  of  value. 

Among  some  of  the  native  Australians  greenstone 
(jade)    and   red   ochre   form   the  currency. 

Chocolate  is  still  used  in  the  interior  of  South  America 
for  a  currency,  as  are  cocoanuts  and  eggs. 

Iron  spikes,  knives,  and  spear  heads,  and  brass  rods 
are  employed  in  certain  parts  of  Central  Africa. 

The  archaic  Greek  money  was  in  the  form  of  thick, 
round  lumps  of  metal,  stamped  with  the  given  value. 

According  to  Adam  Smith  it  was  not  so  very  long 
ago  that  nails  were  used  as  a  subsidiary  coin  in  Scot- 
land. 

Whales'  teeth  are  used  by  the  Fijians,  red  feathers  by 
some  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders,  and  salt  in  Abyssinia. 

The  old  Chinese  gold  coins  were  in  the  form  of 
cubes,  while  the  bronze  was  shaped  like  knives  and 
mining  tools. 

The  Icelandic  and  Irish  laws  yet  have  traces  of  the 
use  of  cattle  for  money.  Many  Teutonic  fines  were  paid 
in  cattle. 

In  the  early  colonial  times  of  1652  tobacco  and  to- 
bacco receipts  were  legal  tender;  corn  and  beans  and 
codfish  were  also  employed. 

The  small,  hard  shell  known  as  the  cowrie  is  still 
used  in  India,  the  Indian  islands,  and  Africa,  in  the 
place  of  subsidiary  coin. 

According  to  Prescott,  the  money  of  the  Aztecs  and 
the  nations  in  kin  consisted  of  quills  filled  with  gold 
dust  and  bags  of  chocolate  grains. 

Before  the  introduction  of  coined  money  into  Greece, 
skewers  or  spikes  of  iron  and  copper  were  a  currency, 
six  being  a  drachm  or  handful. 

The    Carthaginians   had   better    money.     Barbarossa, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  301 

during  his  fight  with  Milan  in  1158,  issued  leather 
tokens,  and  so  did  John  the  Good  of  France  in  1360. 

In  the  British  West  Indies  pins,  a  slice  of  bread,  or 
a  pinch  of  snuff  have  all  a  purchasing  power,  while  on 
the  African  coast  axes  are  the  accepted  currency. 

In  1652,  during  the  early  colonial  times  of  America, 
musket  balls  passed  for  change  at  a  farthing  apiece, 
and  were  a  legal  tender  for  sums  under  a  shilling. 

Wampum  was  the  commonest  currency  of  all.  It  was 
the  shell  bead  money  of  the  Indians,  and  was  soon 
accepted  by  the  colonists  as  a  convenient  token. 

The  strangest  coin  of  all,  though,  was  the  ideal  money 
spoken  of  by  Montesquieu  as  being  found  in  certain 
parts  of  Africa.  It  is  an  ideal  money  called  "  maconte," 
but  is  purely  a  sign  of  value  without  a  unit. 

Human  Insect  Eaters. 

Humboldt  relates  that  yellow  ants  are  eaten  in  Brazil, 
mixed  with  resin  as  sauce. 

Locusts  are  now  eaten  in  the  Crimea,  Greece,  India, 
Arabia,  Persia,  Africa,  and  Madagascar. 

The  aborigines  of  Australia  make  a  cake  of  the 
pounded  bodies  of  a  night-flying  creature  of  the  moth 
genus. 

Not  contented  with  the  honey  and  wax  which  the 
bees  yield,  the  Cingalese  eat  the  insects  themselves. 

The  Chinese  are  fond  of  the  larvae  of  a  species  of 
hawk  moth,  some  of  which,  according  to  Dr.  Erasmus 
Darwin,  are  very  delicious. 

White  ants  are  much  prized  as  food  in  various  parts 
of  Africa.  The  Hottentots  eat  them  both  raw  and 
cooked  and  thrive  wonderfully  on  them. 

In  India  and  the  East  Indies  the  natives  mix  white 
ants  with  flour,  and  make  them  into  pastry,  which  is 
considered  to  be  highly  nutritive. 

The  wire  worm,  the  larvae  of  a  small  beetle,  is  eaten 
in  large  quantities  by  Turkish  women,  and  the  Chinese 
also  eat  some  species  of  worms. 

The  cicadse,  loudly  humming  four  winged  insects, 
were  largely  eaten  by  the  Greeks,  and  their  delicate 
flavor  was  commented  on  by  many  writers. 

One  of  the   same  species  of  the  cossus,   about  the 


202  CURIOUS  FACTS, 

thickness  of  one's  finger,  is  still  eaten  in  some  parts  of 
America,  Africa,  and  the  West  Indies  and  Mauritius. 

Spiders  nearly  an  inch  in  length  are  roasted  over  the 
fire  and  eaten  by  the  natives  of  New  Caledonia.  Even 
educated  Europeans  have  been  known  to  eat  them. 

Locusts  have  been  eaten  from  the  remotest  antiquity, 
and  some  Ethiopian  tribes,  from  this  circumstance,  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Acridophagi,  or  locust  eaters. 

Snails  have  been  used  as  food  from  very  ancient  times. 
Pliny  states  that  they  were  much  appreciated  in  Rome, 
and  were  fattened  on  meal  until  they  attained  great  size 
and   excellent   flavor. 

Pliny  says  that  the  famous  cossi  were  held  in  high 
esteem  among  the  Roman  Patricians,  and  were  fattened 
upon  flour  and  wine.  These  insects  are  supposed  to  be 
grubs  of  a  large  Longicorn  beetle. 

Perhaps  the  most  disgusting  instance  of  reptile  eat- 
ing is  that  recorded  by  Humboldt  C'  Personal  Travels," 
ii.  205),  who  asserts  that  he  saw  Indian  children  drag 
out  of  the  earth  centipedes  eighteen  inches  in  length,  and 
eat  them. 

The  nations  of  the  lake  regions  of  Central  Africa  make 
a  sort  of  cake  out  of  the  multitudes  of  small  dead 
insects  which  they  gather  on  the  shores  of  the  lakes; 
and  in  Central  America  the  natives  make  bread  of  the 
eggs  of  a  large  moth. 

The  Chinese,  who  are  noted  for  their  economy,  eat 
the  chrysalis  of  the  silkworms,  after  they  have  un- 
wound their  silk  from  the  cocoons.  They  fry  them  in 
butter  or  lard,  add  the  yolks  of  eggs,  and  season  with 
pepper,   salt,   and  vinegar. 

The  galls  of  several  gall  flies  (cynips),  which  are 
juicy,  like  apples,  and  crowned  with  rudiments  of 
leaves  resembling  the  calyx  of  that  fruit,  are  esteemed 
in  the,  Levant  for  their  aromatic  flavor,  and  are  sold 
in  the  markets  of  Constantinople. 

^lian  speaks  of  an  Indian  king  who  set  before  his 
guests  a  quantity  of  roasted  worms,  of  which  he  said 
Indians  were  very  fond,  for  dessert.  Some  Greeks  who 
tasted  them  are  said  to  have  pronounced  their  flavor 
most  delicious.  Humboldt  mentions  that  the  Arabs  of 
Fezzan  ate  some  kinds  of  worms. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  203 

Jackson,  a  traveler  of  the  eighteenth  century,  says  that, 
in  1799,  locusts  were  generally  served  up  in  Barbary 
with  other  dishes,  and  were  esteemed  a  great  delicacy. 
Ihey  wtre  preferred  by  the  Moors  to  pigeon;  and  it 
was  said  that  a  person  might  eat  a  plaie  of  about  200 
or  300  without  feeling  any  ill  effect. 

The  Hottentots  are  said  to  rejoice  at  the  appearance 
of  a  swarm  of  locusts,  although  the  destructive  insects 
devour  all  the  verdure  in  the  district.  The  natives  eat 
them  in  such  quantities  that  they  soon  grow  perceptibly 
fatter.  They  also  gather  the  eggs,  and  make  of  them 
a  kind  of  brown  or  coffee-colored  soup. 

The  Arabs,  when  there  is  a  famine,  grind  locusts  in 
their  hand  mills,  or  pound  them  in  mortars,  and  mix 
with  flour  and  water  into  a  dough,  which  they  bake  as 
ordinary  bread.  But  they  do  not  only  employ  locusts 
during  a  scarcity  of  corn,  but,  at  other  times,  eat  them 
as  a  delicacy.  They  boil  them  for  a  good  while  in 
water,  and  afterwards  stew  them  with  butter  into  a 
kind   of   fricassee  of  good  flavor. 

Funeral   Customs. 

The  music  kept  up  at  Irish  wakes  used  to  be  for  the 
purpose  of  driving  away  evil  spirits. 

The  Mohammedans  always,  whether  in  their  own 
country  or  one  of  adoption,  bury  without  a  coffin  of  any 
kind. 

The  primitive  Russians  placed  a  certificate  of  char- 
acter in  the  dead  person's  hand,  to  be  given  to  St.  Peter 
at  the  gates  of  heaven. 

The  natives  of  Australia  tie  the  hands  of  the  corpse 
and  pull  out  the  finger  nails — this  for  fear  that  the 
dead  will  scratch  their  way  out  of  the  grave  and  become 
vampires. 

In  India,  up  till  within  the  past  few  years,  the  de- 
voted wife  ascended  the  funeral  pyre  of  her  dead  hus- 
band, and  was  incinerated  by  the  same  flame  that  re- 
duced her  loved  one  to  ashes. 

During  the  time  of  the  old  Roman  empire  the  dead 
bodies  of  all  except  suicides  were  burned.  The  Greeks 
sometimes  buried  their  dead  in  the  ground,  but  more 
generally  cremated  them  in  imitation  of  the  Romans. 


204  CURIOUS  FACTS 

When  a  child  dies  in  Greenland  the  natives  bury  a 
living  dog  with  it — the  dog  to  be  used  by  the  child  as 
a  guide  to  the  other  world.  When  questioned  about 
their  strange  custom  they  say :  *'  A  dog  can  find  his  way 
anywhere." 

Measurement  of  Atoms. 

William  Thomson  extended  the  methods  of  atomic 
measurement,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  dis- 
tance between  the  centres  of  contiguous  molecules  is 
less  than  a  five-millionth  and  greater  than  a  billionth  of 
a  centimetre;  or,  to  put  it  in  language  more  suited  to 
the  ordinary  mind,  Thomson  asks  us  to  imagine  a  drop 
of  water  magnified  up  to  the  size  of  the  earth,  and  then 
tells  us  that  the  coarseness  of  the  graining  of  such  a 
mass  would  be  something  between  a  heap  of  small  shot 
and  a  heap  of  baseballs. 

Curiosities   of   Magnetism. 

Most  well  informed  people  are  doubtless  aware  that 
the  globe  on  which  they  live  is  a  great  ball  of  magnetism, 
but  comparatively  few  have  an  adequate  idea  of  the 
influence  this  property  is  continually  exerting  on  all 
sides,  that  many  common  but  inexplicable  phenomena 
can  be  traced  directly  to  this  source.  Statistics  go  to 
show  that  in  the  matter  of  steel  rails,  as  many  as 
thirteen  will  become  crystallized  and  break  where  they 
go  to  make  up  a  railroad  track  running  east  and  west, 
before  one  of  those  on  a  north  and  south  track  is 
similarl}'-  affected.  This  is  entirely  due  to  the  mag- 
netism generated  by  friction,  and  the  fact  that  the 
polarity  of  the  magnetic  current  is  in  the  former  in- 
stance resisted  in  the  headlong  rush  of  the  train,  whereas 
in  the  latter  case  it  is  undisturbed. 

Another  strange  effect  of  this  peculiar  and  occult 
force  is  that  exerted  on  the  watches  of  train  men.  A 
timepiece  carried  by  the  conductor  running  a  train 
twenty  miles  an  hour,  however  accurate  it  may  be,  will, 
if  the  speed  of  the  train  is  increased  to,  say,  fifty  miles, 
become  useless  until  regulated.  The  magnetism  gen- 
erated by  the  flight  of  a  train  may  be  said  to  be  in 


CURIOUS  FACTS  205 

the  delicate  parts  of  a  watch,  numbering  all  the  way 
from  400  to  1,000  pieces,  and  peculiarly  susceptible  to 
this  influence  by  reason  of  the  hammering  and  polishing 
they  have  received,  are  not  slow  to  feel  the  effect. 

Mummy  Eyes. 

The  mummy  eyes,  as  they  are  called,  are  taken  from 
the  bodies  of  Bolivian  mummies,  but  bear  no  resemblance 
to  the  human  eye.  They  look  like  glass  shells  with 
gilt  inside,  and,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  are  solid, 
are  delicate  and  easily  broken.  When  exposed  to  damp- 
ness the  gilt  appearance  is  lost,  and  they  resemble  a 
piece  of  yellow  crystal. 

An  English  Word. 

The  word  '*  boodle  "  is  to  be  found  in  either  of  the 
dictionaries  spelt  ''  bodle."  It  has  been  used  in  its 
present  sense  over  fifty  years,  and  it  is  to  be  found 
in  the  ''  Thieves'  Lexicon,"  published  in  1858.  "  Boodle : 
counterfeit  money.  Boodle  carrier:  one  who  carries 
the  counterfeit  money  and  hands  it  out,  one  bill  at  a 
time,  to  those  who  pass  it." 

Precocity  of  Hindoo  Children. 

A  tourist  who  is  traveling  in  India  writes  home  that 
he  was  astonished  by  the  precocity  of  the  Hindoo  chil- 
dren. Many  of  them  are  skilful  workmen  at  an  age 
when  other  children  are  learning  the  alphabet.  One  of 
the  most  expert  carvers  in  wood  he  saw  was  a  boy  of 
seven,  and  many  of  the  handsomest  and  most  costly 
rugs  and  carpets  are  woven  by  children  not  yet  in  their 
teens. 

Couldn't   Find   It. 

A  German  anatomist  has  dissected  many  a  human 
body  and  declares  that  he  has  never  found  the  soul. 
Astonishing !  If  there  is  a  soul  he  surely  would  dis- 
cover it.  Did  he  find  any  life  in  the  dead  body?  No. 
Of  course;  then  there  was  none  before  the  body  died. 
Did  he  find  any  mind,  any  thought,  any  affection?  No. 
Therefore  there  are  no  mind,  no  thought,  no  affection. 
The  following  reply  has  been  given  to  the  anatomist: 


206  CURIOUS  FACTS 

— A  cat  listened  with  admiration  to  the  song  of  a  night- 
ingale. Ambitious  to  learn  the  secret  of  such  charms 
and  to  acquire  them  himself,  he  caught  the  sweet  singer, 
tore  it  to  pieces,  and  found  to  his  astonishment  no 
music. — ^J.  H.  W.  Sluckenberg,  D.  D. 

The  Ocean's  Wealth. 

Seldom  or  never  has  the  enormous  importance  of  the 
harvest  of  the  sea  been  more  forcibly  represented  than 
it  was  by  Professor  Huxley  in  the  address  which  he 
delivered  at  the  International  Fisheries  Exhibition  some 
years  ago.  An  acre  of  good  fishing  ground,  he  pointed 
out,  will  yield  more  food  in  a  week  than  an  acre  of  the 
best  land  will  in  a  year.  Still  more  vivid  was  his  pic- 
ture of  the  moving  "  mountain  of  cod,"  120  to  130  feet 
in  height,  which  for  two  months  in  the  year  moves  west- 
ward and  southward  past  the  Norwegian  coast.  Every 
square  mile  of  this  colossal  column  of  fish  contains  one 
hundred  and  twenty  million  fish,  consuming  every  week, 
when  on  short  rations,  no  fewer  than  eight  hundred  and 
forty  million  herrings.  The  whole  catch  of  the  Nor- 
wegian fisheries  never  exceeds  in  a  year  more  than  half 
a  square  mile  of  this  "  cod  mountain,"  and  one  week's 
supply  of  the  herrings  needed  to  keep  that  area  of  cod 
from  starving.  London  might  be  victualled  with  her- 
ring for  a  year  on  a  day's  consumption  of  the  countless 
shoals  of  uncaught  cod. 

Washington's   Death. 

George  Washington  died  the  last  hour  of  the  day,  the 
last  day  of  the  week,  of  the  last  month  of  the  year,  of 
the  last  year  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Curious  Signs. 

A  notable  sign  on  one  of  Boston's  busiest  streets 
bears  the  remarkable  legend,  "  Cole  and  Wood,  dealers 
in  Wood  and  Coal,"  the  members  of  this  firm  evidently 
having  an  unusually  fine  perception  of  the  *'  poetical 
fitness  of  things." 

In  High  Street,  Clifton,  is  a  sign  "  Milliner  and 
Modest" 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^y 

A  New  York  lawyer  named  Doolittle  once  unwittingly 
entered  into  partnership  with  a  barrister  named  Steele, 
but  a  singular  lack  of  clients  soon  became  ^painfully 
noticeable,  and  it  was  found  advisable  to  dissolve,  the 
name  of  the  firm  proving  altogether  too  suggestive  to 
prospective  patrons. 

U.  Catchem  and  I.  Cheatham,  attorneys  at  law,  was 
a  sign  that  had  to  be  taken  down  for  a  similar  reason. 

Help  Yourself. 

Fight  your  own  battles.  Hoe  your  own  row.  Ask 
no  favors  of  any  one,  and  you'll  succeed  a  thousand 
times  better  than  one  who  is  always  beseeching  some 
one's  influence  and  patronage.  No  one  will  ever  help 
you  as  you  can  help  yourself,  because  no  one  will  be 
so  heartily  interested  in  your  affairs.  The  first  step 
will  be  such  a  long  one,  perhaps;  but  carving  your  own 
way  up  the  mountain  you  make  each  one  lead  to  an- 
other, and  stand  firm  while  you  chop  still  another  out. 
Men  who  have  made  fortunes  are  not  those  who  have 
had  $5,000  given  them  to  start  with,  but  boys  who 
have  started  fair  with  a  well-earned  dollar  or  two. 


Composition  of  Coffee. 

Coffee  is  the  seed  of  the  coffee  plant,  which  is  a 
shrub  that  will  grow  in  any  part  of  the  world  where  the 
minimum  yearly  temperature  never  falls  below  55  degs. 
Fahrenheit.  ^  One  pound  of  unroasted  coffee  beans  or 
seeds  contains:  Of  water,  i  oz.  407  grs. ;  of  sugar,  i 
oz.  17  grs.;  of  fat,  i  oz.  402  grs.;  of  caseine  (flesh 
forming  matter)  2  oz.  35  grs.;  of  gum,  i  oz.  192  grs.;  of 
woody  matter,  5  oz.  262  grs. ;  of  caffeine  and  caffeic 
acid  (or  stimulating  principles),  400  grs.;  of  aromatic 
or  odoriferous  oil,  about  2  grs. ;  and  of  mineral  matters, 
about  I  oz.  2>^  1-2  grs.  The  caffeine  of  coffee  is  ex- 
actly the  same,  both  chemically  and  physically,  as  theine, 
the  stimulating  principle  of  tea.  Both  substances  are 
alike  composed  of  10  parts  of  hydrogen  combined  with 
16  parts  of  carbon,  4  parts  of  nitrogen,  4  parts  of 
oxygen,  and  2  parts  of  water. — Grocers*  World. 


2og  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Beauty  of  the  Coffee  Plant. 

Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  and  interesting  than 
studies  of  the  annual  blooming,  budding,  growth,  and 
ripening  of  coffee,  and  its  gathering  and  preparation  for 
the  market.  The  leaves,  which  are  ovate  in  form,  are 
about  four  inches  long.  They  set  opposite  each  other 
in  pairs  and  are  dark  green  in  color.  Similar  in  texture 
to  the  mammee  leaf,  they  have  the  waxen  surface  of  the 
Indian  laurel.  The  foliage  is  perennial.  Shooting  out 
from  the  bases  of  these  pairs  of  leaves,  after  the  manner 
of  our  cherry  blooms,  are  seen  the  coffee  blossoms,  al- 
most precisely  like  a  diminutive  tuberose,  in  clusters 
of  three  to  six,  snow  white,  and  with  an  indescribably 
delicate,  subtle,  and  delicious  odor.  For  two  months  in 
spring  time  a  coffee  plantation  is  simply  one  vast  plain 
of  white,  a  region  of  intoxicating  odor,  with  the  blue 
sky  half  shut  from  sight  by  myriads  of  honey-seeking 
butterflies,  humming  birds,  and  brilliant-winged  song- 
sters, fluttering  and  circling  in  apparent  ecstasy  of 
revelry  and  delight.  ¥.ov  nearly  six  months  new  blos- 
soms come  as  the  old  ones  disappear.  Blossom  and 
ripening  berries  are  continuous.  As  the  breezes  snow 
the  dying  blossoms  upon  the  ground  tiny  green  buttons 
take  their  place.  They  change  to  a  pale  pink;  then  to 
a  bright  cherry;  finally  to  a  reddish  purple.  Then  they 
are  ripe  and  ready  for  gathering. — Edgar  L.  Wakeman. 

Pertinent  Queries. 

Why  do  we  always  talk  of  putting  on  a  coat  and  vest? 
Who  puts  on  a  coat  before  a  vest?  We  also  say  putting 
on  shoes  and  stockings.  Who  puts  on  the  shoes  before 
the  stockings?  We  also  put  up  signs  telHng  people  to 
wipe  their  feet  when  we  mean  their  boots  or  shoes.  And 
a  father  tells  a  boy  he  will  warm  his  jacket  when  he 
means  to  warm  his  pantaloons. 

Folk  Lore  of  the  Oak. 

The  oak  is  a  tree  celebrated  in  mythology  and  folk 
lore.  Many  of  the  events  of  the  early  Jewish  history 
are  connected  with  it,  and  the  oak  of  Shechem,  the  oaks 
of  Bashan,  and  other  trees  of  the  same  kind  seem  to 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  200 

attest  the  importance  of  this  tree.  It  was  even  more 
important  to  the  Druids,  who  venerated  it  and  its  para- 
site, the  mistletoe.  Mysterious  properties  were  some- 
times accorded  to  oak  trees.  In  one  part  of  England 
ague  was  cured  by  passing  the  sufferer  under  an  oak 
branch  that  had  taken  root  in  the  ground.  Near  certain 
cross  roads  in  Hertfordshire  stood  an  oak  which  was 
approached  to  effect  a  cure  for  the  same  malady.  This 
was  done  by  pegging  a  lock  of  hair  into  the  tree  and 
wrenching  it  from  the  head. 

An  old  German  law  forbade  any  one  from  cutting 
down  on  oak  tree.  The  oak  and  the  hazel  were  said  to  be 
on  bad  terms,  and  could  not  agree.  In  England  this 
prohibition  seems  formerly  to  have  included  other 
trees. — F.  S.  Bassett. 


The  Paradoxes  of  Science. 

The  water  which  drowns  us,  a  fluent  stream,  can  be 
walked  upon  as  ice.  The  bullet  which,  when  fired  from 
a  musket,  carries  death,  will  be  harmless  if  ground  to 
dust  before  being  fired.  The  crystalized  part  of  the  oil 
of  roses,  so  graceful  in  its  fragrance — a  solid  at  ordi- 
nary temperatures,  though  readily  volatile — is  a  com- 
pound substance,  containing  exactly  the  same  elements, 
and  in  exactly  the  same  proportions,  as  the  gas  with 
which  we  light  our  streets.  The  tea  which  we  daily 
drink,  with  benefit  and  pleasure,  produces  palpitations, 
nervous  tremblings,  and  even  paralysis,  if  taken  in  ex- 
cess; yet  the  peculiar  organic  agent  called  theine,  to 
which  tea  owes  its  qualities,  may  be  taken  by  itself  (as 
theine,  not  as  tea)   without  any  appreciable  effect. 

The  water  which  will  allay  our  burning  thirst  aug- 
ments it  when  congealed  into  snow;  so  that  it  is  stated 
by  explorers  of  the  Arctic  regions  that  the  natives  ''  pre- 
fer enduring  the  utmost  extremity  of  thirst  rather  than 
attempt  to  remove  it  by  eating  snow."  Yet  if  the  snow 
be  melted  it  becomes  drinkable  water.  Nevertheless,  al- 
though, if  melted  before  entering  the  mouth,  it  assuages 
thirst  like  other  water,  when  melted  in  the  mouth  it  has 
the  opposite  effect.  To  render  this  paradox  more  strik- 
ing, we  have  only  to  remember  that  ice,  which  melts 


210  CURIOUS  FACTS 

more  slowly  in  the  mouth,  is  very  efficient  in  allaying 
thirst. — Blackwood's  Magazine. 

Kite-Flying  in  Japan. 

One  of  the  most  popular  amusements  is  kite-flying. 
At  certain  seasons  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  make 
unto  themselves  kites  and  hie  them  to  the  hills.  You 
will  sometimes  see  several  thousand  people  gather  to- 
gether to  watch  the  sport  or  to  take  part.  The  kites  are 
often  large  and  fly  very  high.  Some  have  grotesque 
paintings,  others  ^olian  harps,  a  few  are  of  odd  shapes. 
The  lines  are  wound  upon  reels  and  are  generally  dusted 
with  powdered  glass,  so  that  if  you  manage  to  foul 
your  line  with  that  of  some  one  else  it  may  cut  his  line 
and  his  kite  be  lost,  while  yours  still  soars.  The  more 
kites  you  cut  loose  the  bigger  feather  in  your  cap.  In 
this  lively  amusement  Miss  Yum-Yum  takes  her  full 
share. 

Oft  Quoted  Phrases. 

Some  of  the  commonest  sayings  we  hear  every  day 
have  been  handed  down  to  us,  from  father  to  son,  for 
more  than  a  thousand  years ;  and  even  long  before  these 
proverbs  are  thought  to  have  been  in  use  among  our 
forefathers  in  their  old  homeland  in  North  Germany, 
before  they  conquered  and  settled  the  island  they  after- 
ward called  England.  Many  of  them  are  common  to 
the  whole  Aryan  race. 

As  King  Alfred,  who  lived  in  the  ninth  century,  was 
a  good  and  wise  man,  our  ancestors  in  the  middle  ages 
attributed  to  him  many  of  these  wise  sayings,  and  there 
is  a  tradition  that  this  proverbial  philosophy  was  de- 
livered by  him  to  his  Witanagemot,  or  old  English 
parliament. 

AN    OLD    MANUSCRIPT. 

There  is  a  manuscript  of  the  thirteenth  century  con- 
taining many  of  these  proverbs,  which  has  been  printed 
just  as  it  was  written,  in  the  style  and  spelling  of  600 
years  ago.  The  specimens  that  follow  will  be  recog- 
nized at  once,  in  spite  of  their  old  fashioned  English 
dress : 


CURIOUS  FACTS  211 

"Brend  child  fur  dredeth." 

"  He  is  fre  of  hors  that  ner  nade  non/' 

"  Wei  fyht  that  wel  fiyth." 

"  God  beginning  maketh  god  endyng." 

"  Sottes  bolt  is  son  shote." 

"  Fer  from  eye,  fer  from  herte." 

"  When  the  coppe  [cup]  is  fullest  thenne  ber  hir  e 
feyrest." 

'*  When  the  bale  is  best  [highest],  thenne  is  the  bote 
[boot  remedy]   nest  [nighest]. 

Coming  down  to  the  fourteenth  century,  we  find  many 
of  our  common  proverbs  in  ''  Piers  Plowman "  and 
Chaucer.  The  author  of  "  Piers  Plowman  "  says  that 
faith  without  work  is 

*    *    *    "  Ded  as  a  dore  nayle. 

Wisdom  and  witte  now  is  nought  worth  a  carse." 

This  survives  in  our  "  not  worth  a  curse,"  or  '*  don't 
care  a  curse,"  where  curse  stands  for  cress.  In  Turner's 
book  on  the  "Names  of  Herbes "  (1548)  both  forms 
are  in  use,  cresse  and  kerse.  An  old  alliterative  poem 
contains  this  line: — 

"  Anger  gaynez  [gains]  thee  not  a  cresse." 

And  Chaucer  has: 

*    *    *    "he  raught    [recked]    he  not  a  kers." 

In  the  "  Canterbury  Tales  "  one  would  naturally  ex- 
pect to  find  many  of  our  common  byewords,  such  as: 

"  Nordre   will   out,   that    se   we   day   by   day." 

"  Than  is  it  wisdom,  as  it  thinketh  me. 
To  maken  vertu  of  necessite." 

"  Hyt  is  not  all  golde  that  glareth." 

"  Upright  as  a  bolt." 

*'  Bet  than  never  is  late." 
Which  we  have  changed  into  "  Better  late  than  never." 

"  Besy  as  bees ;  "  "  Piping  hot,"  etc. 
To  curry  favor  is  a  corruption  of  middle  English- 
to  curry  favell — that  is,  to  rub  down  a  horse.     Favell 
was  a  common  name  for  horse  in  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury. 


212  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Specimens  of  proverbs  found  in  the  fifteenth  century 
literature  are: 

"  I  know  not  an  A  from  the  wynd-mylne,  ne  a  B 
from  a  bole  foot." — Jack  Upland. 

*'  We  have  a  craw  to  puUe." — Townly  Mysteries. 

"  Odyous  of  olde  been  comparisonis." — Lyndgate's 
Poems. 

AFTER  THE   FIFTEENTH   CENTURY 

As  we  reach  the  sixteenth  century  many  proverbs  ap- 
pear for  the  first  time.  Tyndale,  the  translator  of  the 
Bible,  says  that  "  if  the  porridge  be  burnt,  or  when  a 
thing  speedeth  not  well,  we  say :  '  The  bishop  hath  put 
his  foot  in  the  pot.'  " 

This  is  partly  revived  in  our  day: 
"  Put  his  foot  in  it." 

Lyle's  "  Euphues :  " 

"  As  lyke  as  one  pease  is  to  another." 

''  Fainth  hart  neither  winneth  castell  nor  lady." 

Trusser's  ''  Five  Hundredth  Pointes  of  Good  Hus- 
bandrie." 

'*  Christmas  comes  but  once  a  year." 

"  Who  goeth  a-borrowing  goeth  a-sorrowing." 

**  Heywood  Proverbs,"  published  in   1546 

"  No  man  ought  to  look  a  given  horse  in  the  mouth." 

"  Two  heads  are  better  than  one." 

'*  Beggars  should  be  no  choosers." 

"  Rome  was  not  built  in  one  day." 

"  New  broom  swepth  cleene." 

*'  No  fire  without  some  smoke." 

"  Leape  out  of  the  frying  pan  into  the  fyre." 

"  I  know  on  which  side  my  bread  is  buttered." 

*'  When  I  give  you  an  inch  you  take  an  ell." 

'*  She  looketh  as  butter  will  not  melt  in  her  mouth." 

"  A  penny  for  your  thought." 

*'  You  can  not   see  the  wood  for  the  trees." 

'*  The  grey  mare  is  the  better   horse." 

"  You  might  have  gone  further  and  fared  worse," 

**  Hit  the  nail  on  the  head." 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  213 

"  Rule  the  roost "  is  a  corruption  of  ''  rule  the  roast," 
a  genuine  English  proverb.  It  is  found  in  Gascoigne's 
''Steel  Glas "  (1576),  but  its  appearance  in  literature 
is  several  centuries  earlier. 

''  Forsooth,  good  sir,  the  lawyer  leapeth  in ; 
Nay,  rather  leapes  both  over  hedge  and  ditch. 
And  rules  the  rost,  but  few  men  rule  by  right." 

The  literature  of  the  seventeenth  century  abounds  in 
our  everyday  proverbs. 

"Abbott's  Account  of  His  Trials"   (1627): 

*'  A  fool  and  his  money  is  soon  parted." 
Mobbe's  translation  of  ''Life  of  Guzman"  (1623)  : 

"  Make  the  best  of  a  bad  bars:ain." 

"  As  merry  as  the  day  is  long." 

"  Dead  as  a  herring." 

"  Wycherley's   Comedies"    (1659-71): 

sK    5ic    *    <*  damn  with  faint  praises." — Plain  Dealer. 

"  Dreams  go  by  contraries." 

"  Forewarned  is  forearmed." — The  Gentleman  Dan- 
cing  Master. 

"  Familiarity  breeds  contempt." 

"  Walls  have  ears." — Love  in  a  Wood. 

"  Plain  as  a  pike  staffe." 

"  Fetch  them  over  the  coals." — Merry  Drollery. 

Congreve's  Plays  (1693-1700)  : 

"  Cut  a  diamond  with  a  diamond." — Old  Bachelor. 

"  Chip  of  the  old  block." — Love  for  Love. 

*  *  *  "  turn  my  wife  to  grass." — Way  of  the 
World. 

This  is  perhaps  the  origin  of  our  grass  widow. 

Butler's    "  Hudibras  "    (1678): 

*    *    *    "  ring  the  changes." 

Jeremy  ColHer's  "Short  View  of  EngHsh  Stage" 
(1698): 

*    *    *    "  come  off  with  flying  colors." 
"  As  long  as  there  is  life  there  is  hope." 

— E.  A.  Allen. 


:2i4  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Colors   for  Mourning. 

Deep  blue,  Bokhara  mourning. 

Pale  brown,  the  withered  leaves;  used  in  Persia. 

White,  emblem  of  ''  white  handed  hope ;  "   China. 

Grayish  brown,  earth ;  Ethiopia  and  Abyssinia  mourn- 
ing. 

Scarlet,  mourning  color  occasionally  worn  by  French 
kings. 

Black  expresses  privation  of  light;  worn  throughout 
Europe. 

Yellow,  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf;  Egypt  and  Bur- 
mah.  In  Brittany  widows'  caps  among  the  peasantry 
are  yellow. 

Purple  and  violet,  to  express  royalty;  mourning  for 
cardinals  and  kings  of  France.  Violet,  color  for  mourn- 
ing in  Turkey. 

The  Tartan  Not  an  Ancient  Scotch  Dress. 

''  No  patriotic  Scotch  lady  need  array  herself  in  tar- 
tan under  the  impression  that  it  was  the  ancient  dress 
of  her  ancestors.  The  truth  is  that  no  Scotch  prince 
(except  the  Chevalier)  ever  wore  tartan  in  Holy  rood 
before  George  IV.  himself,  and  any  of  the  Jameses  would 
just  as  soon  have  thought  of  holding  a  court  in  a  dress- 
ing gown.  It  was  never  in  early  times  the  dress  of  Scot- 
land, or  of  the  Scottish  court,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that 
you  do  not  find  it  in  the  ancient  family  portraits  in 
Scotland.  Shoulder  plaids  were  worn,  but  they  were 
not  tartans,  and  the  clans  were  distinguished  by  badges 
in  their  bonnets." — English  Court  Circular. 

Gloves  in  Early  Times. 

Gloves  date  back  to  a  very  remote  period,  the  an- 
cients not  being  strangers  to  their  use,  and  by  the 
eleventh  century  they  were  universally  worn. 

In  a  tomb  in  Egypt  a  pair  of  striped  linen  mittens 
were  found  that  had  been  worn  by  a  lady.  Xenophon 
alludes  to  the  Persians  wearing  gloves,  and  gives  it  as 
a  proof  of  their  effeminacy;  and  Homer  describes 
Laertes  at  work  in  his  garden  wearing  gloves  to  secure 
him  from  the  thorns.     The  Romans  were  severely  up- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  21$ 

braided  by  the  philosophers  for  wearing  gloves;  but 
these  reproaches  had  no  effect  in  diminishing  their  use 
— they  were  too  convenient  and  comfortable  to  be 
lashed  out  of  being  by  the  tongue  of  philosophy.  They 
do  not  appear  to  have  been  worn  in  England  until  the 
beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  and  were  of  German 
manufacture.  In  the  course  of  time,  a  great  deal  of 
ornamentation  was  used  on  the  gloves  in  England. 

The  effigies  of  Henry  II.  and  Richard  I.  had  gloves 
adorned  with  precious  stones,  and  real  gloves  orna- 
mented with  jewels  were  found  upon  the  hands  of  Kmg 
John  and  Edward  I.,  when  their  tombs  were  opened 
during  the  last  century.  Gloves  were  even  ornamented 
with  crests  and  armorial  bearings.  The  ecclesiastical 
were  always  richly  adorned.  They  were  made  of  silk 
or  linen,  embroidered  and  jeweled.  A  pair  preserved 
at  New  College,  Oxford,  are  of  red  silk,  with  the  sacred 
monogram  surrounded  by  a  glory,  and  embroidered  in 
gold  on  the  backs.  Pope  Boniface  VIII.  had  gloves  of 
white  silk  embroidered  very  beautifully  and  studded 
with  pearls. 

About  the  year  1600  leather  gloves  appeared.  They 
were  embroidered,  adorned  with  pearls  and  gems,  and 
trimmed  with  lace.  Perfumed  gloves,  too,  made  their 
appearance  and  were  very  popular  with  the  ladies.  We 
are  told  that  Queen  Mary  Tudor  had  a  pair  of  ''  swete 
gloves  "  sent  to  her  by  a  Mrs.  Wheelers.  The  college 
tenants  of  Oxford  had  perfumed  gloves  presented  to 
them,  as  well  as  distinguished  guests.  The  custom 
went  out  soon  after  the  reign  of  Charles  I. 

Marriage  Customs. 

In  Siam  all  the  guests  must  bring  presents. 

Presents  are  exchanged  between  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom on  the  evening  before  an  Armenian  wedding. 

Swedish  brides  used  to  receive  from  their  friends  a 
pig,  sheep,  or  cow,  and  from  the  bridegroom  a  colt,  dog, 
cat,  or  goose. 

The  custom  of  sticking  coins  on  the  bridegroom's 
forehead  is  common  to  several  eastern  races,  among 
others  to  the  Turcomans  and  Moors  of  West  Barbary. 

Among  the  early  Germans  money  was  given  to  the 


2l6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

bride's  relatives  on  the  wedding  day,  but  this  usage 
was  not  followed  if  the  marriage  happened  to  be  an 
unequal  one. 

Every  guest  at  a  Norwegian  wedding  used  to  bring 
the  bride  a  present.  In  many  parts  a  keg  of  butter 
was  the  usual  gift,  and  if  the  marriage  took  place  in 
the  winter,  salted  or  frozen  meat  was  offered. 

With  modern  Arabians  the  bridegroom  makes  the 
bride  presents,  which  are  sent  a  day  or  two  before  the 
nuptials.  As  soon  as  the  bride  reaches  the  bride- 
groom's house  she  makes  him  presents  of  household 
furniture,  a  spear,  and  a  tent. 

In  Persia  the  bridegroom  is  obliged  to  give  a  certain 
sum  of  money  in  addition  to  other  presents.  If  he  is 
in  moderate  circumstances  he  gives  his  bride  two  com- 
plete dresses,  a  ring,  and  a  mirror.  He  also  supplies 
the  furniture,  carpets,  mats,  culinary  utensils,  and  other 
necessaries  for  their  home. 

With  the  Celestials  the  family  of  the  bridegroom 
make  presents  to  the  family  of  the  bride  of  various 
articles  a  few  days  before  the  day  fixed  for  the  mar- 
riage. The  presents  generally  consist  of  food,  a  cock 
and  hen,  the  leg  and  foot  of  a  pig,  the  leg  of  a  goat, 
eight  small  cakes  of  bread,  eight  torches,  three  pairs 
of  large  red  candles,  a  quantity  of  vermicelli,  and  sev- 
eral bunches  of  firecrackers. 


Greeting  Customs  in  Other  Climes. 

It  is  common  in  Arabia  to  put  cheek  to  cheek. 

The  Hindoo  falls  in  the  dust  before  his  superior. 

The  Chinaman  dismounts  when  a  great  man  goes  by. 

A  Japanese  removes  his  sandals,  crosses  his  hands  and 
cries  out  "  Spare  me !  " 

The  Burmese  pretend  to  smell  of  a  person's  face,  pro- 
nounce it  sweet  and  then  ask  for  a  "  smell." 

The  Australian  natives  practice  the  singular  custom 
when  meeting  of  sticking  out  their  tongues  at  each 
other. 

A  striking  salutation  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders  is  to 
fling  a  jar  of  water  over  the  head  of  a  friend. 

The  Arabs  hug  and  kiss  each  other,  making  simul- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  217 

taneously  a  host  of  inquiries  about  each  other's  health 
and  prospects. 

The  Turk  crosses  his  hands  upon  his  breast  and 
makes  a  profound  obeisance,  thus  manifesting  his  re- 
gard without  commg  in  personal  contact  with  its  object. 

About  Thunderstorms. 

Java  has  thunderstorms  on  the  average  of  97  days 
in  the  year. 

England  and  the  high  Swiss  mountains,  7;  Norway, 
4;  Cairo,  3. 

Sumatra,  86;  Hindoostan,  56;  Borneo,  54;  and  the 
Gold  Coast,  52. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  51;  Italy,  38;  West  Indies,  36,  and 
South  Guinea,  32. 

Silesia,  Bavaria,  and  Belgium,  21 ;  Holland,  18 ; 
Saxony  and  Brandenburg,   17. 

Buenos  Ayres,  Canada,  and  Austria,  23;  Baden,  Wur- 
temburg,  and  Hungary,  22. 

France,  Austria,  and  South  Russia,  16;  Spain  and 
Portugal,  15;  Sweden  and  Finland,  8. 

In  East  Turkestan,  as  well  as  in  the  extreme  north, 
there  are  almost  no   thunderstorms. 

The  northern  limits  of  the  thunderstorms  are  Cape 
Ogle,  northern  part  of  North  America,  Iceland,  Semelji, 
and  the  coast  of  the  Siberian  ice  sea. 

A  Female  Athlete. 

That  was  a  lady  to  beware  of  that  James  Payne  tells 
of  in  The  London  Illustrated  News:  "  Miss  Phoebe 
Boun  of  Matlock,  never  made  an  exhibition  of  herself 
in  any  way,  but  William  Hutton,  in  one  of  his  tours, 
speaks  of  her  with  wonder  as  well  as  praise.  '  Her  step, 
at  30,  was  very  manly,  and  could  cover  forty  miles  a 
day.'  She  could  lift_  a  hundredweight  with  each  hand, 
and,  with  the  wind  in  her  face,  send  her  voice  a  mile. 
*  She  could  knit,  cook,  and  spin,  but  hated  them  all 
with  every  accompaniment  to  the  female  character  ex- 
cept modesty.'  If  any  gentleman  made  a  mistake  as  to 
this  latter  attribute,  she  knocked  him  down.  She  could 
hold  the  plow,  drive  the  team  and  thatch  the  rick,  but 


2i8  CURIOUS  FACTS 

her  chief  avocation  was  breaking  in  horses,  without  a 
saddle,  at  $5.00  a  week.  She  was  an  excellent  shot  and 
a  great  reader;  fond  of  Shakespeare,  and,  doubtless, 
also,  of  the  musical  glasses,  since  she  played  the  bass 
viol  in  Matlock  church." 

Weather  Signs. 

A  rainbow  in  the  morning  gives  the  shepherd  warn- 
ing; that  is,  if  the  wind  be  easterly,  because  it  shows 
that  the  rain  cloud  is  approaching  the  observer. 

A  rainbow  at  night  is  the  shepherd's  delight.  This 
is  also  a  good  sign,  provided  the  wind  be  westerly,  as 
it  shows  that  the  rain  clouds  are  passing  away. 

Evening  red  and  next  morning  gray  are  certain  signs 
of  a  beautiful  day. 

When  the  glow  worm  lights  her  lamp,  the  air  is  al- 
ways damp. 

If  the  cock  goes  crowing  to  bed,  he'll  certainly  rise 
with  a  watery  head. 

When  you  see  gossamer  flying,  be  ye  sure  the  air 
is  drying. 

When  black  snails  cross  your  path,  black  clouds 
much  moisture  hath. 

When  the  peacock  loudly  bawls,  soon  we'll  have  both 
rain  and  squalls. 

When  ducks  are  driving  through  the  burn  (brook), 
that  night  the  weather  takes  a  turn. 

If  the  moon  shows  like  a  silver  shield,  be  not  afraid 
to  reap  your  field. 

But  if  she  rises  haloed  round,  soon  we'll  tread  on 
deluged  ground. 

When  rooks  fly  sporting  high  in  the  air,  it  shows  that 
windy  storms  are  near. 

If  at  the  sun  rising  or  setting  the  clouds  appear  of  a 
lurid  red  color,  extending  nearly  to  the  zenith,  it  is  a 
sure  sign  of  storms  and  gales  of  wind. — Notes  and 
Queries  (1856). 

Time  of  the  World's  Harvests. 
Burmah  in  the  month  of  December. 
Peru  and  South  Africa  in  November. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  210 

East  India  and  Upper  Egypt  in  February  and  March. 

Algeria,  Central  Asia,  Central  China,  Japan,  Texas, 
and  Florida  in  May. 

Scotland,  Sweden,  Norway,  and  Northern  Russia  in 
September  and  October. 

Australia,  Argentinia,  Chili,  and  New  Zealand  are 
reaping  their  wheat  in  January. 

The  coast  territories  of  Egypt,  Cyprus,  Syria,  Asia 
Minor,  Persia,  and  Cuba  in  April. 

Belgium,  Holland,  Great  Britain,  Denmark,  Poland, 
Hudson's  Bay  territories.  Lower  Canada,  Columbia,  and 
Manitoba  in  August. 

Turkey,  Greece,  Italy,  Spain,  Portugal,  Southern 
France  in  June. 

Austria,  Hungary,  Danubian  principalities.  South 
Russia,  south  of  England,  Germany,  Switzerland, 
France,  Nebraska,  Minnesota,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Illinois, 
Indiana,  Michigan,  Ohio,  New  York,  New  England, 
and  Upper  Canada  in  July  and  August. 

Odds  and  Ends  of  Curious  Items. 

One  hundred  and  seventy-five  million  cells  are  in  the 
lungs,  which  would  cover  a  surface  thirty  times  greater 
than  the  human  body.  The  gold  beaters  of  Berlin,  at 
the  Paris  exposition,  showed  gold  leaves  so  thin  that  it 
would  require  282,000  to  produce  the  thickness  of  a 
single  inch,  yet  each  leaf  is  so  perfect  and  free  from 
holes  as  to  be  impenetrable  by  the  strongest  electric 
light ;  if  these  leaves  were  bound  in  book  form  it  would 
take  15,000  to  fill  the  space  of  ten  common  book  leaves. 
The  hottest  region  on  the  earth  is  on  the  south-western 
coast  of  Persia,  where  Persia  borders  the  gulf  of  the 
same  name;  for  forty  consecutive  days  in  the  months 
of  July  and  August,  the  thermometer  has  been  known 
not  to  fall  lower  than  100  degs.,  night  or  day.  Seven 
million  persons  are  employed  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
vine  in  France.  A  bundle  of  spider  webs,  not  larger 
than  a  buckshot  and  weighing  less  than  one  drachm, 
would,  if  straightened  out  and  untangled,  reach  a  dis- 
tance of  350  miles.  On  dark  nights  a  white  light  can 
be  seen  farther  than  any  color;  on  bright  nights  red 
takes  the  first  place. — Current  Literature, 


220  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Speed  and  Power  of  Birds. 

The  vulture  is  said  to  fly  at  times  at  the  rate  of 
above   lOO  miles  an  hour. 

The  wild  goose  and  the  swallow,  in  their  migrations, 
make  90  miles  an  hour. 

The  power  exerted  by  the  eagle  in  full  flight  is  but  a 
fraction  of  one  horse  power. 

The  common  crow  ordinarily  lounges  across  country 
at  the  rate  of  25  miles  an  hour,  the  speed  of  a  railway 
train. 

The  carrier  pigeon  has  flown  long  distances  at  rates 
of  speed  ranging  from  60  up  to  80  miles  an  hour,  and 
for  many  hours  together. 

The  power  exerted  by  a  pigeon  flying  is  2,200  feet 
per  minute,  25  miles  an  hour  nearly,  at  1-200  of  a  horse 
power  per  pound,  or  9  1-2  horse  power  for  a  flying 
machine  of  equally  good  form,  weighing  one  ton,  at  25 
miles  an  hour,  or  about  50  horse  power  per  ton  weight 
at  50  miles. 

The  pelican  has  an  expenditure  of  i-ii  horse  power 
by  21  pounds  of  bird,  and  this  is  one  horse  power  to 
231  pounds,  or  about  a  horse  power  for  the  weight  of 
a  man,  allowing  ample  margin  for  surplus  nower.  The 
birds  are  found  to  have  a  surplus  lifting  power  of 
about  one-half. 

The  Weight  of  the  Whale. 

Nilsson  remarks  that  the  weight  of  the  Greenland 
or  right  whale  is  100  tons,  or  220,000  pounds,  equal  to 
that  of  88  elephants  or  440  bears.  The  whalebone  in 
such  a  whale  may  be  taken  at  3,360  pounds,  and  the 
oil  at  from  140  to  170  tons.  The  remains  of  the  fossil 
whale  which  have  been  found  on  the  coast  of  Ystad, 
in  the  Baltic,  and  even  far  inland  in  Wangapanse, 
Westergothland,  betoken  a  whale  which,  although  not 
more  than  50  or  60  feet  in  length,  must  at  least  have 
had  a  body  twenty-seven  times  larger  and  heavier  than 
that  of  the  common  or  right  whale. 

The  Flight  of  Ducks  and  Geese. 

There  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  a  canvas- 
back  duck  flies  at  an  habitual  rate  of  80  miles  per  hour, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  -221 

which  is  increased  in  emergency  to  120,  The  mallard 
has  a  flight  of  48  miles  an  hour ;  the  black  duck,  pintail, 
widgeon,  and  wood  duck  cannot  do  much  better.  The 
bluewing  and  greenwing  teals  can  do  100  miles  an  hour 
and  take  it  easy.  The  redhead  can  fly  all  day  at  90 
miles  per  hour.  The  gadwall  can  do  90  miles.  The 
flight  of  the  wild  goose  is  100  miles  per  hour. 


The  Use  of  Letters. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  to  the  reading  public 
how  much  each  individual  letter  of  the  alphabet  is  used. 
D,  h,  n,  o,  c,  and  u  are  in  third  place  as  regards  ordi- 
nary use;  t,  s,  a,  i,  and  r  are  in  second  place,  being 
used  a  very  little  oftener;  1  and  m  are  in  fourth  place, 
with  f,  g,  y,  V,  p,  and  b  close  afterward;  j  and  k  are 
not  common  as  compared  to  the  rest;  while  z,  q,  and 
X  are  used  least  of  all.  The  letter  e  is  in  first  place, 
being  used  far  oftener  than  any  other. 

To  Give  the  Sack. 

Two  noblemen  in  the  reign  of  Maximilian  II.  (1564- 
1576),  one  a  German,  the  other  a  Spaniard,  who  had 
each  rendered  a  great  service  to  the  emperor,  asked 
the  hand  of  his  daughter,  Helena,  in  marriage.  Maxi- 
milian said  that  as  he  esteemed  them  both  alike  it  was 
impossible  to  choose  between  them,  and  therefore  their 
own  prowess  must  decide  it,  but  being  unwilling  to 
risk  the  loss  of  either  by  engaging  them  in  deadly 
combat  he  ordered  a  large  sack  to  be  brought,  and  de- 
clared that  he  who  should  put  his  rival  into  it  should 
have  his  fair  Helena. 

And  this  whimsical  combat  was  actually  performed 
in  the  presence  of  the  imperial  court,  and  lasted  an  hour. 
The  unhappy  Spanish  nobleman  was  first  overcome,  and 
the  German  succeeded  in  enveloping  him  in  the  sack, 
took  him  upon  his  back,  and  laid  him  at  the  emperor's 
feet. 

This  comical  combat  is  said  to  be  the  origin  of  the 
phrase,  "  give  him  the  sack,"  so  common  in  the  litera- 
ture of  courting. — Notes  and  Queries. 


^2  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Early  Use  of  Soap. 

More  than  2,000  years  ago  the  Gauls  were  combining 
the  ashes  of  the  beech  tree  with  goat's  fat  and  making 
soap.  When  Marius  Claudius  Marcellus  was  hastening 
southward  over  the  Flaminian  way,  laden  with  spoils 
wrested  from  the  hands  of  Viridomar,  the  Gallic  king 
lying  dead  by  the  banks  of  the  Po,  his  foUowerers  were 
bringing  with  them  a  knowledge  of  the  method  of 
making  soap.  The  awful  rain  of  burning  ashes  which 
fell  upon  Pompeii  in  79  buried  (with  palaces  and 
statues)  the  humble  shop  of  a  soapmaker,  and  in  sev- 
eral other  cities  of  Italy  the  business  had  even  then  a 
footing.  In  the  eighth  century  there  were  many  soap 
manufactories  in  Italy  and  Spain,  and  fifty  years  later 
the  Phoenicians  carried  the  business  into  France,  and 
established  the  first  factories  in  Marseilles.  Prior  to 
the  invention  of  soap,  fuller's  earth  was  largely  used 
for  cleansing  purposes,  and  the  juice  of  certain  plants 
served  a  similar  purpose.  The  earth  was  spread  upon 
cloth,  stamped  in  with  the  feet,  and  subsequently  re- 
moved by  scouring.  It  was  also  used  in  baths,  and  as 
late  even  as  the  eighteenth  century  was  employed  by  the 
Romans  in  that  way. 

The  Organ. 

The  first  invention  of  the  organ  has  been  ascribed  to 
Ctesibius,  of  Alexandria,  who  lived  b.  c.  150.  But  the 
period  when  this  instrument  was  introduced  into  the 
churches  of  western  Europe  is  rather  uncertain.  Pope 
Vitalian  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  to  adopt  it, 
about  the  year  670.  But  the  earliest  account,  to  be  relied 
on,  of  the  introduction  of  the  organ  into  the  west  of 
Europe  is  that  about  the  year  755  the  Greek  Emperor 
Copronymus  sent  one  as  a  present  to  Pepin,  king  of 
France.  In  the  time  of  Charlemagne,  however,  organs 
became  common  in  Europe.  That  prince  had  one  built 
at  Aix  la  Chapelle  in  812,  on  a  Greek  model,  which 
the  learned  Benedictine,  Bedos  de  Celles.  in  his  ex- 
cellent work  on  the  '*  Art  of  Constructing  Organs, 
1766,"  considered  to  have  been  the  first  that  was  fur- 
nished with  bellows  without  the  use  of  water.    Before 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  22% 

the  tenth  century  organs  had  become  common  in  Eng- 
land, and  exceeded,  both  in  size  and  compass,  those  of 
the  continent.  In  the  fifteenth  century  half  notes  were 
introduced  at  Venice,  and  also  pedals,  or  foot  keys, 
which  were  invented  by  Bernhard,  a  German,  to  whose 
countrymen  are  due  many  of  the  improvements  of  the 
instrument  in  existence  at  the  present  time. 

Remarkable  Instances  of  Antipathy. 

Amatus  Lusitanus  relates  the  case  of  a  monk  who 
would  faint  on  seeing  a  rose,  and  never  quitted  his  cell 
when  that  flower  was  blooming.  Orfila,  a  less  ques- 
tionable authority,  tells  us  of  Vincent,  the  painter,  who 
would  swoon  when  there  were  roses  in  a  room,  even 
though  he  did  not  see  them.  Valtaid  tells  of  an  officer 
being  thrown  into  convulsions  by  having  a  pink  brought 
to  his  chamber.  Orfila  also  relates  the  case  of  a  lady 
of  46  years,  a  hale,  hearty  woman,  who,  if  present  when 
linseed  was  being  prepared  for  any  of  its  various  uses, 
would  have  violent  coughing  fits,  swelling  of  the  face, 
and  partial  loss  of  reason  for  the  next  twenty-four 
hours. 

Hinting  at  these  peculiar  antipathies  and  aversions, 
Montaigne  remarks  that  there  have  been  men  who  more 
feared  an  apple  than  a  cannon  ball.  Zimmerman  tells 
of  a  lady  who  could  not  bear  to  touch  either  silk  or 
satin,  and  who  v/ould  shudder  and  almost  faint  if  by 
accident  she  happened  to  touch  the  velvet  skin  of  a 
peach.  Boyle  records  the  case  of  a  man  who  would 
faint  when  his  room  was  being  swept,  and  one  who 
naturally  abhorred  honey. 

Hippocrates  mentions  one  Nicanor  who  would  always 
swoon  at  hearing  the  sounds  of  a  flute.  A  lunar  eclipse 
caused  Bacon  to  completely  collapse,  and  the  sight  of 
a  roast  pig  had  the  same  effect  upon  Vaughelm,  the 
famous  German  sportsman. 

The  editor  of  "  Notes  for  the  Curious  "  has  a  sister 
who  will  not  stay  in  a  room  where  a  water  melon  is 
being  sliced,  and  who,  although  she  has  long  since 
grown  out  of  all  other  fanciful  whims,  says  that  she 
has  never  been  able  to  look  upon  that  delicious  product 
of  the  vine  without  feeling  as  though  an  emetic  had 


224  CURIOUS  FACTS 

been  taken.  So,  too,  the  writer  knows  a  youngster, 
away  up  in  the  teens,  who,  in  counting  will  not  say 
''  i8,"  and  thinks  no  more  of  saying  17,  19  than  the 
average  person  would  of  saying  17.  18,  19.  He  says 
that  the  bare  thought  of  the  objectionable  figures  makes 
him  feel  the  same  in  the  stomach  and  gives  the  same 
sensations  that  swinging  to  a  dizzy  height  does — i.  e., 
a  sort  of  an  "  all-gone  feeling." — St.  Louis  Republic. 

Explosives. 

Of  the  present  most  celebrated  explosives  in  use,  or 
proposed  for  service,  what  is  known  as  blasting  gela- 
tine contains  the  largest  percentage  of  nitro-glycerine, 
viz.,  eighty-two  parts,  with  eight  of  gun  cotton ;  then 
dualine,  eighty  parts  nitro-glycerine  and  twenty  of  nitro- 
cellulose or  gun  cotton;  dynamite,  seventy-five  parts  of 
nitro-glycerine  and  twenty-five  of  infusorial  earth ;  At- 
las powder,  seventy-five  parts  of  nitro-glycerine*  twenty- 
one  of  wood  fibre,  five  of  carbonate  of  magnesia,  and 
two  of  nitrate  of  soda;  tonite,  fifty-two-and-a-half  parts 
gun  cotton,  forty-seven-and-a-half  of  nitrate  of  baryta: 
rackarock,  yy.y  parts  of  chlorate  of  potash  and  22.3  of 
nitro-benzol ;  rendrock,  again,  is  a  composition  of  forty 
parts  of  nitro-glycerine,  forty  of  nitrate  of  potash  or 
soda,  thirteen  of  cellulose,  and  seven  of  paraffin ;  giant 
powder,  thirty-six  parts  nitro-glycerine,  forty-nine 
nitrate  of  potash,  or  soda,  eight  of  sulphur,  and  eight 
of  resin  or  charcoal;  mica  powder,  fifty-two  parts  nitro- 
glycerine and  forty-eight  of  pulverized  mica. 

Long  Distance  Sounds. 

The  report  of  a  cannon  travels  very  far,  because  it 
communicates  a  vibration  to  the  soil. 

The  noise  produced  by  the  great  eruption  of  Coto- 
paxi,  in  1744,  was  heard  over  600  miles. 

Franklin  asserts  that  he  heard  the  striking  together 
of  two  stones  in  the  water  half  a  mile  away. 

In  1762  the  report  of  the  cannon  fired  in  Mayence 
could  be  heard  at  Tinbeck.  146  miles  away. 

In  the  polar  regions  Sir  John  Franklin  conversed  with 
ease  at  a  distance  of  more  than  a  mile. 

When  in  1809  the  cannon  boomed  in  Heligoland,  the 


CURIOUS  FACTS  225 

sound  was  heard  at  Hanover,  a  distance  of  157  miles. 

The  cannonading  at  Florence  was  heard  at  Leghorn, 
fifty-six  miles  avv^ay,  and  that  at  Genoa  over  one  hun- 
dred miles. 

The  greatest  distance  at  which  artificial  sounds  are 
known  to  have  been  heard  was  on  December  4,  1832, 
when  the  cannon  at  Antwerp  were  heard  in  Erzgebirge, 
370  miles  distant. 

Colladon,  by  experiments  made  at  Lake  Geneva,  esti- 
mated that  a  bell  of  common  size,  one  that  could  be 
heard  a  distance  of  three  to  five  miles  on  land,  could, 
if  submerged  in  the  sea,  be  heard  over  sixty  miles. — 
St.  Louis  Republic. 

The    Chinese   Puzzle. 

Imagine  a  language  devoid  of  grammar  or  syntax; 
unhampered  by  declensions,  moods,  tenses,  or  inflec- 
tions of  any  kind;  essentially  monosyllabic;  in  which 
the  slightest  change  of  pitch  in  the  voice  completely 
modifies  the  sentence;  subject  to  no  rules  of  logic  or 
construction;  a  language  petrified  into  solid  blocks  and 
representing  human  thoughts  as  a  mosaic  represents  a 
picture;  a  language  in  which  every  sentence  is  a  puzzle 
even  to  the  sons  of  the  country;  a  language  which  once 
written  can  no  longer  be  read,  but  must  be  scanned — 
and  even  then  you  have  imagined  but  a  few  of  the  char- 
acteristic peculiarities  of  Chinese. 

It  has  often  been  said,  it  is  still  said  to-day,  that 
the  Chinese  speak  after  the  fashion  of  children,  directly, 
straight  to  the  point,  with  an  energy  of  expression,  a 
directness  of  purpose,  and  a  natural  logic  devoid  of  the 
artificiality  of  occidental  tongues.  As  an  example  of 
this  childlike  simplicity,  which  we  may  be  pardoned  for 
thinking  peculiar,  let  us  take  the  following  sentence.  A 
Chinaman  says  to  us : — 

**  To  have — one — (numerical  particle) — widow — wife 
— he — to  be — religion — friend — house — within — necessary 
— to  use  —  all  —  to  have  —  although — forsooth — not — to 
count — rich — noble — ^to  arrive — bottom — ^to  pass — to  ob- 
tain— day — product.'* 

We  see  at  once  that  in  his  simple,  straightforward 
way  he  means  to  say: — 


226  CURIOUS  FACTS 

*'  There  lived  a  Christian  widow  who  possessed  all 
that  she  needed;  though  not  rich,  she  had  enough  to 
live  upon." — Harper's  Magazine. 

A  Good  Word  for  the  Pig. 

We  must  all  make  our  apologies  to  the  pig,  who  has 
been  grossly  maligned  in  regard  to  his  food.  Instead  of 
being  ready  to  eat  anything,  he  turns  out  to  be  the  most 
fastidious  of  animals.  Experiments  have  been  made 
both  in  France  and  Sweden  which  show  this  to  be  the 
case,  and  in  the  latter  country  the  record  tells  that,  out 
of  575  plants,  the  goat  eats  449  and  refuses  126;  the 
sheep,  out  of  494  plants,  eats  387  and  refuses  141 ;  out 
of  528  plants,  the  cow  eats  276  and  refuses  218;  out  of 
474  plants,  the  horse  eats  262  and  refuses  212;  and  the 
pig,  out  of  243  plants,  eats  72  and  refuses  171. — Pall 
Mall  Gazette. 

Deepest  Lake  in  the  World. 

In  the  Cascade  mountains,  about  seventy-five  miles 
north-east  of  Jacksonville,  Ore.,  the  seeker  for  the  curi- 
ous will  find  the  Great  Sunken  Lake,  the  deepest  lake 
in  the  world.  This  lake  rivals  the  famous  Valley  of 
Sinbad  the  Sailor.  It  is  said  to  average  2,000  feet  down 
to  the  water  on  all  its  sides.  The  depth  of  the  water 
is  unknown,  and  its  surface  is  as  smooth  and  unruffled 
as  a  mammoth  sheet  of  glass,  it  being  so  far  below 
the  mountain  rim  as  to  be  unaffected  by  the  strongest 
winds.  It  is  about  fifteen  miles  in  length  and  about  four 
and  a  half  wide. 

For  unknown  ages  it  has  lain  still,  silent,  and  mys- 
terious, in  the  bosom  of  the  great  mountain  range,  like 
a  gigantic  trench  scooped  out  by  the  hands  of  giant 
genii. 

The  Deepest  Lake  Known. 

By  far  the  deepest  lake  known  in  the  world  is  Lake 
Baikal,  in  Siberia,  which  is  every  way  comparable  to  the 
great  Canadian  lakes  as  regards  size;  for,  while  its 
area  of  over  9,000  square  miles  makes  it  about  equal 
to    Erie   in   superficial    extent,   its   enormous   depth   of 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  22f 

between  4,000  and  4,500  feet  makes  the  volume  of  Its 
waters  almost  equal  to  that  of  Lake  Superior.  Al- 
though its  surface  is  1,350  feet  above  the  sea  level,  its 
bottom  is  nearly  3.000  feet  below  it.  The  Caspian  Lake, 
or  sea,  as  it  is  usually  called,  has  a  depth  in  its  southern 
basin  of  over  3,000  feet.  Lake  Maggiore  is  3,000  feet 
deep,  Lake  Como  nearly  2,000  feet,  and  Lago-di-Garda, 
another  Italian  lake,  has  a  depth  in  certain  places  of 
1,900  feet.  Lake  Constance  is  over  1,000  feet  deep,  and 
Huron  and  Michigan  reach  depths  of  900  and  1,000 
feet. 

Magic  in  Numbers. 

Very  many  superstitious  and  curious  ideas  have  been 
and  are  still  connected  with  numbers.  Great  hopes  have 
been  founded  upon  certain  combinations  of  numbers 
in  lotteries,  in  horoscopes,  or  in  predictions  regarding 
important  events.  Important  undertakings  have  awaited 
,  favorable  dates  for  their  inception,  and  the  lives  of 
more  than  one  leader  of  men  have  been  more  or  less 
influenced  by  a  regard  for  certain  numerical  combina- 
tions, supposed  to  have  a  dominating  power  in  shaping 
a  successful  career. 

There  have  been  superstitious  notions  connected  with 
nearly  every  one  of  the  nine  digital  numbers. 

The  number  i  was  held  to  be  sacred  because  it  repre- 
sented the  unity  of  the  Godhead.  This  number  is 
esteemed  as  very  lucky  by  the  Javanese,  who  allot  but 
one  day  to  each  of  the  several  operations  of  husbandry, 
leaving  that  portion  of  the  crop  that  could  not  be 
gathered  in  one  day. 

The  second  digit  acquired  an  especially  evil  reputa- 
tion among  the  early  Christians,  because  the  second  day 
hell  was  created,  along  with  heaven  and  earth.  The 
Cabalists  said  it  typified  the  hypostatic  union  of  Christ. 
It  seems  to  have  been  a  number  unlucky  in  English 
dynasties.  Harold  II.  was  slain  in  battle;  WilHam  II. 
and  Edward  II.  were  murdered;  Ethelred  IL,  Richard 
II.,  and  James  II.  were  forced  to  abdicate;  and  Henry 
IL,  Charles  IL.  and  George  II.  were  unfortunate  in 
many  ways.  The  number  seems  to  have  been  an  un- 
lucky one  to  the  soveeigns  of  other   European  coun- 


228  CURIOUS  FACTS 

tries.  The  Charles  II/s  of  France,  of  Navarre,  of  Spain, 
of  Anjou  and  of  Savoy  passed  or  ended  their  reigns  un- 
happily. 

The  number  3  has  an  abundance  of  superstitions  con- 
nected with  it.  It  was  the  perfect  number  of  the 
Pythagoreans,  who  said  it  represented  the  beginning, 
middle,  and  end.  A  greater  importance  was  given  to 
the  number  because  it  represented  the  Trinity,  not  only 
in  the  Christian  religion,  but  in  many  others. 

There  was  but  little  mystery  attached  to  the  numbers 
4  and  5.  In  folk  lore  the  four  leaved  clover  is  espe- 
cially lucky.  The  four  of  clubs  is  an  unlucky  card,  and 
it  is  named  the  devil's  four  post  bed. 

The  Cabalists  asserted  that  the  number  6  was  potent 
in  mystical  properties.  The  world  was  created  in  six 
days,  the  Jewish  servant  served  six  years.  Job  endured 
six  tribulations,  and  hence  the  figure  typified  labor  and 
suffering.  The  rabbis  asserted  that  the  letter  vau,  which 
represents  six,  was  stamped  on  the  manna,  to  remind 
the  Jews  that  it  fell  on  six  days  only. 

The  number  6  was  an  unlucky  one  at  Rome.  Tar- 
quinius  Sextus  was  a  brutal  tyrant,  the  church  was 
divided  under  Urban  the  Sixth,  and  Alexander  the 
Sixth  was  a  monster  of  iniquity. 

The  number  7  has  been  invested  with  more  mystery 
than  all  the  other  digits  together,  and  to  it  were  ascribed 
magic  and  mystical  qualities  possessed  by  no  other 
number.  Several  learned  treatises  have  been  written  on 
this  number,  and  septenary  combinations  have  been 
sought  everywhere.  In  an  old  writer  of  two  centuries 
ago  we  may  read  why,  in  his  opinion,  the  number  is 
peculiarly  excellent.  First,  he  says,  *'  It  is  neither  be- 
gotten nor  begets ;  "  secondly,  "  It  is  a  harmonic  num- 
ber and  contains  all  the  harmonies ;  "  thirdly,  "  It  is  a 
theological  number,  consisting  of  perfection ;  "  fourthly, 
"  It  is  composed  of  perfect  numbers,  and  participates 
of  their  virtues." 

He  may  find  better  reasons  for  the  importance  at- 
tached to  this  number.  Much  of  it  Is  doubtless  due  to 
its  prominence  in  the  Bible.  The  seven  days  of  creation 
led  to  a  septenary  division  of  time  to  all  ages.  Several 
of  the  Jewish   feasts  lasted   seven   days.     Elisha   sent 


CURIOUS  FACTS  229 

Naaman  to  wash  in  the  Jordan  seven  times,  and  Elijah 
sent  his  servant  from  Mount  Carmel  seven  times  to 
look  for  rain.  For  seven  days  seven  priests  with  seven 
trumpets  invested  Jericho,  and  on  the  seventh  day  they 
encompassed  it  seven  times.  There  were  seven  virtues, 
and  seven  mortal  sins. 

The  ancients  not  only  noted  the  importance  of  seven 
as  an  astronomical  period,  but  also  connected  with  the 
seven  planets  the  seven  metals  then  known.  The  soul 
of  man  was  anciently  supposed  to  be  controlled  by,  this 
double  septenary  combination.  It  was  also  an  ancient 
belief  that  a  change  in  the  body  of  man  occurs  every 
seventh  year. 

The  Koran  enumerates  seven  heavens.  There  was  an 
old  Russian  superstition  to  the  same  effect,  and  a  ladder 
of  seven  rounds  was  placed  in  the  grave  to  enable  the 
defunct  to  ascend   these   seven   grades. 

Says  an  old  writer,  ''  Augustus  Caesar,  as  Gellius  saith, 
was  glad,  and  hoped  that  he  was  to  live  long,  because 
he  had  passed  his  63  years.  For  olde  men  seldom  passe 
that  year  but  they  are  in  danger  of  their  lives.  Two 
years,  the  seventh  and  ninth,  commonly  bring  great 
changes  to  a  man's  life,  and  great  dangers;  therefore  6^, 
that  containeth  both  these  numbers  multiplied  together, 
containeth  unknown  dangers." 

Leases,  now  granted  for  a  period  of  ninety-nine  years, 
were  formerly  given  for  999. 

There  were  nine  earths,  according  to  mediaeval  cos- 
mogony; nine  heavens,  nine  rivers  of  hell,  nine  orders 
of  angels,  etc.  The  number  being  perfection,  since  it 
represented  divinity,  was  often  used  to  signify  a  great 
quantity,  as  in  the  phrases,  ''  A  nine  days'  wonder,"  "  A 
cat  has  nine  lives,"  "  Nine  tailors  make  a  man,"  etc. 

In  Scotland,  a  distempered  cow  was  cured  by  wash- 
ing her  in  nine  surfs.  To  see  nine  magpies  is  extremely 
unlucky.  Nine  knots  made  in  a  black  woollen  thread 
served  as  a  charm  in  the  case  of  a  sprain. 

When  a  servant  maid  finds  nine  green  peas  in  one 
pod  she  lays  it  on  the  window  sill,  and  the  first  man 
that  enters  will  be  her  ''beau."  Nine  grains  of  wheat, 
laid  on  a  four-leaved  clover,  enable  one  to  see  the 
fairies. — F.  S.  Bassett. 


236  'CURIOUS  FACTS, 

The  Genuine  Basket  Trick. 

Let  me  give  you  a  picture  of  an  Indian  juggler !  One 
stands  outside  my  hotel  window  as  i  write.  Jrle  is  per- 
forming his  tricks  in  the  dusty  road  without  a  table, 
cabinet,  patent  boxes,  or  any  ot  the  accompaniments  of 
the  regular  prestidigitateur.  His  sole  possessions  con- 
sist of  three  small  baskets,  rangmg  in  size  from  half  a 
peck  to  a  bushel,  a  couple  of  clotlis,  and  a  tripod  made 
of  three  sticks,  each  two  feet  long,  and  held  together 
by  a  string  at  the  top.  Three  little  wooden  dolls  With 
red  cloths  tied  around  their  necks  and  each  not  over  a 
foot  long,  are  the  gods  which  enable  him  to  do  won- 
derful things.  He  has  a  flute  in  his  mouth  and  a  little 
drum  in  his  hand.  He  is  black  faced  and  black  bearded, 
and  his  shirt  sleeves  are  pulled  up  above  his  elbows. 
His  only  assistant  is  a  little  turbaned  boy,  who  sits  be- 
side him,  whom  he  will  shortly  put  into  a  basket  not 
more  than  two  feet  square,  and  with  him  will  perform 
the  noted  basket  trick  of  India. 

This  trick  is  one  of  the  wonderful  juggling  tricks  of 
the  world.  The  boy's  hands  are  tied  and  he  is  put  into 
a  net,  which  is  tied  over  his  head  and  which  incloses  his 
whole  body  so  that  he  apparently  cannot  move.  He  is 
now  crowded  into  this  basket.  The  lid  is  put  down  and 
tight  straps  are  buckled  over  it.  The  juggler  now 
takes  a  sword  and  with  a  few  passes  of  these  little 
Hindoo  doll  babies  over  it  and  the  muttering  of  in- 
cantations as  a  preliminary,  thrusts  the  sword  again  and 
again  into  the  basket.  There  is  a  crying  as  though  some 
one  was  in  terrible  pain.  It  is  the  voice  of  a  child 
and  the  sword  comes  out  bloody.  You  hold  your  breath, 
and  did  you  not  know  it  to  be  a  trick  you  would  feel 
like  pouncing  upon  the  man.  After  a  moment  the 
basket  becomes  still,  the  juggler  makes  a  few  more 
passes,  unbuckles  the  straps  and  shows  you  that  there 
is  nothing  within  it.  He  calls  ''  Baba !  baba !  "  and  in 
the  distance  you  hear  the  child's  voice.  How  the  boy 
got  out  of  the  basket  or  escaped  being  killed  by  the 
sword  and  where  the  blood  came  from  I  do  not  know. 
I  only  know  it  was  a  sleight-of-hand  performance  and 
wonderfully  well  done. — Frank  Carpenter. 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  i23I 

Game  of  the  Four  Elements. 

The  party  being  seated  in  a  circle,  the  player  who 
has  been  selected  to  begin  the  game  takes  a  knotted 
handkerchief  and  throws  it  suddenly  into  another's  lap, 
calling  out  at  the  same  time  either  "  Earth!  "  "  Water!  " 
"  Air  1  "  or  "  Fire  !  "  If  **  Earth  !  "  be  called  out,  the 
player  into  whose  lap  the  handkerchief  has  fallen  must 
name  some  quadruped  before  the  other  can  count  ten; 
if  ''Water!"  he  must  name  a  fish;  if  ''Air!"  a  bird, 
and  if  '*  Fire ! "  he  must  remain  silent.  Should  the 
player  name  a  wrong  animal,  or  speak  when  he  ought 
to  be  silent,  he  must  pay  a  forfeit  and  take  a  turn  at 
throwing  the  handkerchief;  but  should  he  perform  his 
task  properly  he  must  throw  the  handkerchief  back  to 
the  first  player.  Those  who  have  never  joined  in  this 
simple  game  can  have  no  idea  of  the  absurd  errors 
into  which  the  different  players  fall  when  summoned 
unawares  to  name  a  particular  kind  of  animal. 

Easy  Methods  of  Doing  Things  that  Look  Difficult 
and  are  Entertaining. 

An  interesting  home-made  method  of  natural  decora- 
tion consists  simply  in  taking  a  glass  or  a  goblet  and 
placing  in  the  interior  a  little  common  salt  and  water. 
In  a  day  or  two  a  slight  mist  will  be  seen  upon  the 
glass,  which  hourly  will  increase,  until  in  a  very  short 
time  the  glass  will  present  a  beautiful  appearance,  being 
enlarged  to  twice  its  thickness  and  covered  with  beau- 
tiful salt  crystals,  packed  one  upon  another,  like  some 
peculiar  fungus  or  animal  growth.  A  dish  should  be 
placed  beneath  the  glass,  as  the  crystals  will  run  over. 

The  color  of  the  crystals  may  be  changed  by  placing 
in  the  salt  and  water  some  common  red  ink  or  a  spoon- 
ful of  blueing;  this  will  be  absorbed  and  the  white 
surface  covered  with  exquisite  tints. 

No  more  simple  method  of  producing  inexpensive  or 
beautiful  ornaments  can  be  imagined,  and  by  using 
different  shapes  of  vases  and  shades  an  endless  variety 
of  beautiful  forms  can  be  produced.  The  glass  should* 
be  placed  where  there  is  plenty  of  warmth  and  sunlight 


232 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


Another  scientinc  experiment  which  may  interest  some 
of  the  older  as  well  as  the  younger  members  of  the 
family  may  be  made  by  suspending  from  the  ceiling  a 
thread  which  has  previous  been  soaked  in  very  salt 
water  and  then  dried. 

To  this  fasten  a  light  ring,  and  announce  that  you 
are  about  to  burn  the  thread  without  making  the  ring 
fall.  The  thread  will  burn,  it  is  true,  but  the  ashes  it 
leaves  are  composed  of  crystals  of  salt,  and  their  co- 
hesion is  strong  enough  to  sustain  the  light  weight  of 
the  ring  attached  to  the  thread. 

Another  form  of  the  same  experiment  is  to  make  a 
little  hammock  of  muslin  to  be  suspended  by  four 
threads,  and  after  having  soaked  this  in  salted  water 
and  dried  it  as  before  directed,  to  place  in  it  an  empty 
tgg  shell. 

Set  the  hammock  on  fire;  the  muslin  will  be  con- 
sumed and  the  flame  reach  the  threads  which  hold  it 
without  the  egg  falling  from  its  frail  support.  With 
great  care  you  may  succeed  in  performing  the  experi- 
ment with  a  full  egg-  in  place  of  an  empty  shell,  taking 
the  precaution,  however,  to  have  it  previously  hard 
boiled,  that  you  may  escape  an  omelet  in  case  of  failure. 

Another  curious  experiment  is  that  of  putting  an  tgg 
into  a  bottle  without  breaking  the  shell.  Soak  the  ^%gy 
which  must  be  fresh,  for  several  days  in  strong  vinegar. 
The  acid  of  the  vinegar  will  eat  the  lime  of  the  shell, 
so  that  while  the  tgg  looks  the  same  it  is  really  very 
soft. 

Only  a  little  care  is  required  to  press  the  ^gg  into 
the  bottle.  When  this  is  done  fill  it  half  full  of  lime 
water  and  let  it  stand.  The  shell  will  absorb  the  lime 
and  become  hard  again,  and  after  the  lime  water  is 
poured  off  you  have  the  curious  spectacle  of  an  ^gg 
the  usual  size  in  a  small  necked  bottle,  which  will  be  a 
great  puzzle  to  those  w^ho  do  not  understand  how  it  is 
done. 

Poisons  as  Stimulants. 

Every  virulent  poison  known  to  botany  or  chemistry, 
says  Dr.  Felix  L.  Oswald,  can  be  used  for  purposes  of 
stimulation.  The  Yakoots  of  Northern  Siberia  fuddle 
with  poisonous  toadstools,  the  Syrian  mountaineers  with 


CURIOUS  FACTS  233 

arsenic,  the  miners  of  the  Peruvian  Andes  with  ver- 
digris, the  Chinese  and  Turks  with  opium,  the  Syrians 
with  a  decoction  of  hemp  seed,  the  Malays  with  the 
acrid  juice  of  the  betel  nut.  In  a  few  starving  villages 
of  Dalmatia,  foxglove  leaves  (digitalis)  are  used  for 
intoxication  purpose.  The  great  preference  for  alcohol 
for  centuries — and  even  since  the  first  dawn  of  historic 
tradition — may  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  it  is  by  far 
the  most  universally  accessible  of  the  virulent  stimu- 
lants, rather  than  by  any  attractiveness  of  its  taste,  or 
by  hereditary  desires.  Even  the  drunkard's  children, 
contrary  to  common  belief,  are  nauseated  by  the  first 
taste  of  fermented  or  distilled  liquors. 

Physicians  and  Persian  Women. 

When  a  Persian  lady  is  ill  and  requires  the  attention 
of  a  physician,  she  must  be  concealed  by  a  screen,  and 
he  makes  his  inquiries  without  seeing  her.  She  may  be 
permitted  to  put  out  her  hand  and  wrist  in  order  that 
her  pulse  may  be  felt,  but  only  when  actually  necessary. 
Among  the  lower  classes  in  the  villages  a  little  more 
freedom  is  permitted  in  consulting  a  doctor,  for  they 
live  a  more  communal  life;  and  the  physicians  in  the 
rural  districts  are  itinerants,  who  on  arriving  at  a  vil- 
lage open  an  office  under  a  broad  plane  tree  by  the  side 
of  a  murmuring  brook.  Of  course  veiled,  the  women 
flock  around  him,  and  he  prescribes  heroic  doses,  some- 
times adding  a  charm  to  be  worn  over  the  suffering 
member,  consisting  of  an  extract  from  the  koran  in- 
side of  an  amulet.  After  dosing  the  village  and  care- 
fully collecting  every  fee  on  the  spot,  the  rustic  ^scu- 
lapius  prudently  decamps  to  the  next  village.  If  the 
patient  recovers,  praise  is  given  to  God  as  well  as  to 
the  doctor;  if  he  or  she  dies,  the  result  is  laid  to  kis- 
met, or  fate,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  well  that  the 
doctor  should  not  be  on  hand,  for  human  wrath  is 
liable  to  overcome  faith  in  the  decrees  of  destiny— S. 
G.  W.  Benjamin. 

Window   Ventilation. 

To  obtain  ventilation  by  a  window,  without  a  draft 
to  strike  a  person,  a  direction  to  the  following  effect 


234  CURIOUS  FACTS 

has  been  constantly  repeated  by  every  hygienist  and 
hygienic  publication  for  a  number  of  years  past  with- 
out a  suspicion  of  its  fallacy,  apparently,  on  the  part 
of  any  one  of  the  public's  instructors : — ''  Fit  a  strip  of 
board  into  the  window  casing  at  the  bottom,  under  the 
lower  sash,  so  as  to  raise  the  sash  tv/o  or  three  inches, 
and  the  thin  spaces  between  the  panes,  where  the  sashes 
lap  over  each  other,  will  be  open  above  and  belov/, 
affording  egress  and  ingress  to  the  air  in  vertical  direc- 
tions, while  the  board  excludes  a  horizontal  draft  that 
would  strike  a  person  near  the  window." 

The  objection  to  this  plan  is  that  it  is  built  exactly 
wrong  side  up,  in  defiance  of  the  law  of  gravitation,  and 
will  not  work.  It  contemplates  the  exit  of  the  warm 
and  rarefied  air  of  the  room  downward  through  the 
colder  air  between  the  sashes,  and  expects  the  still 
colder  and  heavier  air  outside  to  climb  upward  through 
the  lighter  inclosed  air  and  tumble  over  the  top  of  the 
sash  into  the  room.  The  amount  of  air  exchanged  be- 
tween outside  and  inside  in  this  way  v/ill  be  hardly 
perceptible,  unless  a  strong  breeze  blows  against  the 
window. 

The  way  to  get  ventilation  through  this  interspace, 
and  a  truly  excellent  way,  is  to  push  up  the  lower  sash 
to  the  top  of  the  casing,  and  pull  the  upper  sash  down 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  sill,  stopping  the  gap  at  the 
bottom  with  the  board  above  mentioned.  The  outer  air 
will  then  find  a  downward  entrance  and  the  lighter  air 
within  will  escape  upward. — Sanitary  Era. 

Oriental  Dentistry. 

I  had  slept  little,  as  I  was  suffering  greatly  from  a 
toothache.  The  sheik  declared  that  there  was  a  skilful 
dentist  in  the  encampment,  and,  as  the  pain  was  almost 
unbearable,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  put  myself  in  his 
hands  rather  than  endure  it  any  longer.  He  was  ac- 
cordingly sent  for.  He  was  a  tall  muscular  Arab.  His 
instruments  consisted  of  a  short  knife  or  razor  and  a 
kind  of  iron  awl.  He  bade  me  sit  on  the  ground,  and 
then  took  my  head  firmly  between  his  knees.  After 
cutting  away  the  gums  he  applied  the  awl  to  the  roots 
of  the  tooth,  and,  striking  the  other  end  of  it  with  all 


CURIOUS  FACTS  235 

his  might,  expected  to  see  the  tooth  fly  into  the  air. 
But  it  was  a  double  one,  and  not  to  be  removed  by  such 
means  from  the  jaw.  The  awl  slipped  and  made  a 
severe  wound  in  my  palate.  He  insisted  on  a  second 
trial,  declaring  that  he  could  not  but  succeed.  But 
the  only  result  was  that  he  broke  off  a  large  piece  of 
the  tooth,  and  I  had  suffered  sufficient  agony  to  decline 
a  third  experiment. — Sir  Henry  Layard. 

What   the   Owl   Does. 

It  is  well  known  that  owls  hunt  by  night,  but^  it 
may  be  less  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that,  like 
other  birds  of  prey,  they  return  by  the  mouth  the  hard 
indigestible  parts  of  the  food  in  the  form  of  elongated 
pellets.  These  are  found  in  considerable  quantities  about 
the  birds'  haunts,  and  an  examination  of  them  reveals 
the  fact  that  owls  prey  upon  a  number  of  predacious 
creatures,  the  destruction  of  which  is  directly  beneficial 
to  man.  The  evidence  gained  in  this  way  is  infallible; 
and  to  show  to  what  extent  owls  assist  in  preserving 
the  balance  of  nature,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  700 
pellets  examined  yielded  the  remains  of  16  bats,  3  rats, 
237  mice,  693  voles,  1,590  shrews,  22  birds.  These  truly 
remarkable  results  were  obtained  from  the  common 
barn  owl;  and  the  remains  of  the  22  birds  were  those 
of   19  sparrows,   i   greenfinch,  and  2  swifts. 

The  Homing   Faculty. 

Many  animals  are  endowed  with  senses  which  remain 
yet  quite  mysterious  to  our  understanding,  and  all  we 
know  is  that  these  senses  exist.  There  is  the  homing 
faculty,  which  is  well  known  to  occur  in  many  animals, 
such  as  the  bee,  many  migratory  animals,  mnny  fishes. 
the  horse,  dog,  etc.  It  is  known,  for  instance,  that  many 
honey  hunters  find  their  prey  by  catching  bees  and 
letting  them  free  at  different  points.  Each  bee  strikes 
home  immediately,  and  so,  to  find  the  bee  hive,  one  only 
needs  to  follow  the  bee  line  of  two  or  three  bees,  as 
they  point  to  one  and  the  same  spot,  and  come  across 
each  other  at  the  very  spot  where  the  hive  is  to  be  found 
and  is  actually  discovered. 

Eels  and  fishes  often  go  from  one  pond  to  another, 


236  CURIOUS  FACTS 

very  distantly  located,  or  from  a  pond  to  the  sea,  in 
a  quite  straight  line,  without  any  mistake.  It  would 
seem  that  this  homing  faculty  pre-exists  to  all  individual 
experience,  since  Humphrey  Davy  informs  us  that  he 
has  seen  a  young  alligator,  which  had  just  got  out  of 
its  &^g,  which  had  been  broken  by  this  observer,  make 
immediately  for  the  direction  in  which  water  was  close 
by.  Again,  a  falcon,  sent  from  Teneriffe  to  the  Duke 
of  Lerme,  in  southern  Spain,  managed  to  escape,  and 
sixteen  hours  later  had  returned,  quite  exhausted,  to 
Teneriffe.  A  dog,  carried  from  Mentone,  in  the  south 
of  France,  to  Vienna,  came  back  to  Mentone;  and  a 
donkey  of  Gibraltar,  which  was  shipwrecked  200  miles 
away  on  the  Spanish  coast,  also  managed  to  get  to  his 
home  in  Gibraltar. 

The  Wireless  Telegraph  Suggested  240  Years  Ago, 

The  Rev.  Canon  Jackson,  of  Leigh  Delamere,  Chip- 
penham, writes  as  follows  to  the  Bath  Chronicle: — 
*'  Joseph  Glanvill  sometimes  called  '  Sadducismus  Tri- 
umphatus  Glanvill,'  rector  of  Bath  from  1666  to  1672, 
was  a  learned  writer  upon  abstruse  and  mystical  sub- 
jects, but  in  a  style  of  which  it  is  not  always  easy  to 
catch  the  meaning.  In  one  of  his  treatises,  called  '  The 
Vanity  of  Dogmatizing,'  printed  in  1661,  chapter  xxi., 
he  is  speaking  of  supposed  impossibilities  which  may 
not  be  so.'  In  the  concluding  sentence  of  the  following 
passage  he  seems  to  have  anticipated  the  electric  tele- 
graph : — *  But  yet  to  advance  another  instance.  That 
men  should  confer  at  very  distant  removes  by  an  ex- 
temporary intercourse  is  a  reputed  impossibility:  but 
yet  there  are  some  hints  in  natural  operations  that  give 
us  probability  that  'tis  fefasible,  an  may  be  compassed 
without  unwarrantable  assistance  from  daemoniack 
correspondence.  That  a  couple  of  needles  equally 
touched  by  the  same  magnet,  being  set  in  two  dials 
exactly  proportioned  to  each  other,  and  circumscribed 
by  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  may  effect  this  *  mag- 
nale'  [i.e.,  important  result],  hath  considerable  authori- 
ties to  avouch  it.  The  manner  of  it  is  thus  represented. 
Let  the  friends  that  would  communicate  take  each  a 
dial :  and  having  appointed  a  time  for  their  sympathetic 


CURIOUS  FACTS  237 

conference,  let  one  move  his  impregnate  needle  to  any 
letter  in  the  alphabet,  and  its  affected  fellow  will  pre- 
cisely respect  the  same.  So  that  would  I  know  what 
my  friend  would  acquaint  me  with,  'tis  but  observing 
the  letters  that  are  pointed  at  by  my  needle,  and  in  their 
order  transcribmg  them  from  their  sympathized  index 
as  its  motion  directs;  and  I  may  be  assured  that  my 
friend  described  the  same  with  his;  and  that  the  words 
on  my  paper  are  his  inditing.  Now,  though  there  will 
be  some  ill  contrivance  in  a  circumstance  of  this  in- 
vention, in  that  the  thus  impregnate  needles  will  not 
move  to,  but  avert  from,  each  other  (as  ingenious  Dr. 
Browne  hath  observed),  yet  this  cannot  prejudice  the 
main  design  of  this  way  of  secret  conveyance:  since 
it  is  but  reading  counter  to  the  magnetic  informer,  and 
noting  the  letter  which  is  most  distant  in  the  Abecederian 
circle,  from  that  which  the  needle  turns  to,  and  the  case 
is  not  alter'd.  Now,  though  this  desirable  effect  pos- 
sibly may  not  yet  answer  the  expectations  of  inquisitive 
experiment,  yet  'tis  no  despicable  item,  that  by  some 
other  such  way  of  magnetick  efficiency,  it  may  here- 
after with  success  be  attempted,  when  magical  history 
shall  be  enlarged  by  riper  inspections;  and  'tis  not  un- 
likely but  that  present  discoveries  might  be  improved 
to  the  performance.' " 

The  Telephone  Predicted, 

In  the  works  of  Robert  Hooke,  published  in  1664, 
is  the  following  forecast  of  the  telephone : — 

'*  And  as  glasses  have  highly  promoted  our  seeing,  so 
'tis  not  improbable  but  that  there  may  be  found  many 
mechanical  inventors  to  improve  our  senses  of  hearing, 
smelling,  tasting,  and  touching.  'Tis  not  impossible  to 
hear  a  whisper  a  furlong's  distance,  it  having  been  al- 
ready done,  and  perhaps  the  nature  of  the  thing  would 
not  make  it  more  impossible  though  that  furlong  should 
be  ten  times  multiplied.  And  though  some  famous 
authors  have  affirmed  it  impossible  to  hear  through  the 
thinnest  plate  of  Muscovy  glass,  yet  I  know  a  way  by 
which  it  is  easy  enough  to  hear  one  speak  through  a 
wall  a  yard  thick.  It  has  not  yet  been  thoroughly  ex- 
amined how  far  octocousticons  may  be  improved,  nor 


238  CURIOUS  FACTS 

what  other  waj^s  there  may  be  of  quickening  our  hear- 
ing or  conveying  sound  through  other  bodies  than  the 
air,  for  that  is  not  the  only  medium.  I  can  assure  the 
reader  that  I  have  by  the  help  of  a  distended  wire, 
propagated  the  sound  to  a  considerable  distance  in  an 
instant,  or  with  as  seemingly  quick  a  motion  as  that  of 
light,  at  least  incomparably  swifter  than  that  which  at 
the  same  time  was  propagated  through  the  air,  and  this 
not  only  in  a  straight  line  or  direct,  but  one  bended  in 
many  angles." 

Elowers  in  Folk  Lore, 

The  Syrians  regarded  the  rose  as  an  emblem  of  im- 
mortality. Chinese  plant  it  over  graves,  and  in  the 
Tyrol  it  is  said  to  produce  sleep.  Germans  call  the 
rose  of  Jericho  the  Christmas  rose,  and  it  is  supposed 
to  divine  the  events  of  the  year,  if  steeped  in  water  on 
Christmas  eve.  It  is  said  in  Persia  that  there  is  a 
certain  charmed  day  in  which  the  rose  has  a  heart  of 
gold.  Another  tradition  relates  that  there  is  a  silver 
table  on  a  certain  Mount  Calassy,  in  India,  and  on  this 
table  lies  a  silver  rose  that  contains  two  beautiful  women 
who  praise  God  without  ceasing.  In  the  centre  of  the 
rose  is  the  triangle — the  residence  of  God. 

It  is  said  that  if  a  white  rose  blooms  in  autumn  an 
early  death  is  prognosticated,  while  an  autumn  bloom- 
ing red  rose  signifies  marriage.  The  red  rose,  it  is 
also  said,  will  not  bloom  over  a  grave.  Rose  leaves 
are  sometimes  thrown  on  the  fire  for  good  luck,  and  a 
rose  bush  may  be  made  to  bloom  in  autumn  by  pruning 
it  on  St.  John[s  day.  Here,  as  well  as  in  France  and 
Italy,  it  is  believed  that  rosy  cheeks  will  come  to  the 
lass  who  buries  a  drop  of  her  blood  under  a  rose  bush. 
In  Posen,  young  women  assure  the  fidelity  of  their 
lovers  by  carrying  a  rosebud  in  the  breast.  Rose  leaves 
are  chosen  for  divination  in  Thuringia,  the  maiden 
having  several  lovers  scattering  a  leaf  named  after  each 
one  on  the  water;  the  leaf  that  sinks  last  is  the  true 
lover. 

ANEMONE,   AMARANTH,   ASPHODEL. 

The  anemone  was  regarded  as  the  symbol  of  sick- 
ness in  ancient  Egypt     It  was  fabled  to  have  sprung 


CURIOUS  FACTS.  '339 

from  the  tears  wept  by  Venus  over  Adonis.  The  amar- 
anth would,  says  Pliny,  recover  its  color  if  sprinkled 
with  water.  It  was  a  symbol  of  immortality,  the  word 
meaning  "  everlasting."  The  asphodel  was  its  oppo- 
site, meaning  "  regret."  The  spirits  of  the  dead  were 
thought  to  subsist  on  this  flower.^  The  bachelor's  button 
is  so  named  because  youths  carried  one  in  the  pocket  to 
divine  their  success  in  love.  If  the  flower  died,  it  was 
an  ill  omen.  The  flower  basil  is  a  test  of  purity.  If 
it  is  put  under  the  plate  of  an  impure  maiden  in  Voigt- 
land,  she  will  not  touch  it. 

Our  familiar  buttercup  was  so  named  from  an  idea 
that  its  consumption  increased  the  butter  producing 
quality  of  the  cov/'s  milk.  Cows  never  eat  them,  but 
they  grow  only  in  dry,  rich  pastures.  The  columbine 
was  anciently  called  a  thankless  flower,"  and  was  the 
emblem  of  forsaken  lovers.  The  meek  little  daisy, 
opening  its  eye  with  the  light  of  the  planet  Venus,  has 
always  been  a  favorite  with  the  poets.  Its  star  form 
caused  it  to  be  an  object  of  superstition,  and  German 
maidens  prognosticated  their  fortunes  with  it. 

The  forget-me-not  is  one  of  the  flowers  that  in  Ger- 
man lore  guard  treasures  entombed  in  caverns.  The 
Swiss  regard  with  superstitious  feeling  the  little  edel- 
weiss (our  cat's  foot  or  everlasting).  Its  Swiss  name 
signifies  noble  purity. 

LEGEND   AND   TRADITION 

The  common  marigold  is  named  in  French  Soucis 
(care).  In  Breton  legend,  if  touched  by  the  bare  foot 
of  a  pure-hearted  person  on  a  certain  morning,  it  gives 
power  to  understand  the  language  of  birds.  The  crocus 
signifies  unrequited  love.  The  poppy  is  a  well  known 
symbol  of  death.  The  snowdrop  is  sacred  to  the  Virgin 
Mary.  The  primrose  is  an  important  flower  in  folk 
lore.  The  Germans  name  it  **  Schlussel  blume,"  or  key 
flower.     It  is  fabled  to  open  the  way  to  treasures. 

The  lily  is  traditionally  the  emblem  of  Diana  and 
Lilith,  Adam's  second  wife.  To  the  people  of  India 
and  Egypt  it  typified  fertility,  to  the  prophets  it  had  a 
mysterious  signification.  It  is  potent  against  witchcraft 
in  Germany,  if  gathered  with  prayer.     Spanish  super- 


240  CURIOUS  FACTS 

stition  credits  it  with  the  power  of  restoring  to  the 
human  shape  any  one  who  has  been  transformed  to  an 
animal.  It  is  a  remedy  for  venomous  bites  in  England, 
and  it  was  formerly  thought  that  the  number  of  flowers 
on  the  finest  stem  indicated  the  price  of  grain  for  the 
season. 

The  thistle,  gathered  in  silence,  was  formerly  a  valued 
charm.  It  was  sacred  to  Thor,  and  was  one  of  the 
many  plants  that  protected  dwellings  from  lightning. 
In  England,  the  milk  thistle  is  "  Our  Lady's  thistle," 
and  the  plant  is  well  known  as  the  national  emblem  of 
Scotland.  Lastly,  there  is  the  modest  violet,  type  of 
humility.  Mohamm.edans  are  fond  of  it,  as  their  founder 
revered  it  as  a  type  of  his  religion.  It  was  the  badge 
of  mediaeval  minstrels,  and  a  golden  violet  was  the  prize 
in  the  poetical  contests  at  Toulouse. — F.  S.  Bassett  in 
Globe-Democrat. 

Value   of   Ozone. 

Ozone  is  a  form  or  phase  of  oxygen,  supposed  now 
by  men  of  science  to  be  developed  by  plant  life,  espe- 
cially in  the  act  of  blossoming.  The  prevalence  of  epi- 
demics is  believed  to  coincide  with  the  absence  of  ozone, 
or  its  decrease  to  a  minimum.  Open  winters  are  dan- 
gerous in  the  north,  because  vegetation  decays,  with 
neither  freezing  nor  ozone  to  counteract  the  effect.  The 
Tennessee  Board  of  Health  has  discussed  the  question 
thoroughly,  and  finds  pine  forests  not  to  aid  in  pro- 
ducing ozone.  A  sharp  thunder  storm,  on  the  contrary, 
increases  it  remarkably.  It  is  urged  by  Professor 
Mecham  of  Philadelphia,  that  the  flowering  of  plants 
has  much  to  do  with  health.  The  keeping  of  house 
plants  of  a  free  blooming  sort,  if  clean  and  healthy,  is 
desirable. 

Tootli  Present. 

In  Iceland,  that  country  of  gentle,  primitive  customs, 
from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  the  fashion  to  pre- 
sent to  lad  or  lassie,  when  the  first  baby  tooth  appeared, 
a  lamb  to  be  his  or  her  very  own,  cared  for  and  tended 
as  no  other  pet  could  be,  and  never  to  be  parted  with. 

There  comes  to  us  in  a  pretty  ^ory  concerning  the 
ways  and  manners  of  that   sturdy,   truth   loving,  and 


Curious  facts,  241 

warm  hearted  people  an  account  of  such  an  offering  to 
the  bailiff's  son.  A  winsome,  soft  eyed  creature  was 
Botna,  the  queen  of  the  lamb  flock.  The  pet  grew 
apace,  as  did  the  frolicsome  owner,  and  when  he  was 
ten  years  old,  a  hardy  shepherd  lad,  Botna  had  become 
old,  toothless,  and  lame.  She  could  no  longer  go  away 
to  pasture  with  the  herd,  or  eat  her  fill  of  grass,  even 
in  the  pleasant  midsummer  weather.  Her  faithful  young 
master  was,  however,  mindful  of  Botna's  needs.  He 
had  not  forgotten  that  every  year  she  had  given  him  a 
little  lamb,  and  in  her  old  age  a  corner  was  given  to 
her  in  the  family  living  room,  where  she  could  see 
familiar  faces  and  hear  the  voices  of  her  best  friends. 
Many  times  a  day  she  was  fed  from  a  bottle,  and  was 
never  taken  out  for  fresh  air  unless  the  day  was  mild 
and  the  air  balmy.     Fortunate  Botna! 

Fijian  Houses. 

The  ordinary  Fijian  house  looks,  outside,  like  a  great 
oblong  hay  stack,  standing  on  a  mound  raised  some  few 
feet  above  the  surrounding  level,  with  a  long  ridge  pole 
extending  beyond  the  roof  at  either  gable,  its  ends 
sometimes  ornamented  with  shells.  The  hay  stack  has 
a  doorway  or  two,  with  a  mat  suspended  in  it.  Houses 
with  greater  pretensions,  however,  have  the  walls  prettily 
latticed  with  reeds,  and  distinct  from  the  roof,  which  is 
elaborately  thatched,  with  great  projecting  eaves.  In- 
side, immense  posts,  usually  of  vesi  wood  (Afselia 
bijuga),  and  a  very  ingenious  framework,  support  the 
roof.  The  interior  decorations  of  sinnet  (cocoanut 
fibre),  always  in  rectilinear  patterns — for  they  do  not 
affect  curves — are  sometimes  pretty.  The  black,  squared 
lintels  of  the  doors  are  the  stems  of  tree  ferns.  On 
a  great  shelf  overhead  is  stored  the  family  lau,  a  con- 
venient Fijian  word  equivalent  to  the  Italian  roba.  Here 
it  comprises  their  fishing  gear,  huge  rolls  of  tappa  or 
native  cloth,  mats,  immense  pottery  vessels  and  the  like. 

English  and  French  Manners. 

Manners  always  represent  an  ideal  of  some  kind. 
The  English  way  of  behavior  seems  to  stand  for  dignity, 
the  French  for  grace.     Manners  in  both  countries  are 


242  CURIOUS  FACTS 

more  the  representation  of  self  in  outward  form  than 
any  evidence  of  real  consideration  for  the  person  to 
whom  they  are  addressed.  The  Englishman  wishes  to 
convey  the  idea  that  he  himself  has  dignity,  that  he  is 
a  gentleman ;  the  Frenchman  is  anxious  to  show  that  he 
is  a  witty  and  accomplished  man  of  the  world.  *  *  * 
The  virtues  of  English  behaviour  are  chiefly  of  a  nega- 
tive kind,  and  those  of  French  behaviour  positive.  An 
Englishman  is  pleasant  because  he  is  not  noisy,  not 
troublesome,  not  obtrusive,  not  contradictory,  and  be- 
cause he  has  the  tact  to  avoid  conversational  pitfalls 
and  precipices.  The  Frenchman  is  agreeable  because  he 
is  lively,  is  amusing,  is  amiable,  is  successful  in  the 
battle  against  dullness,  and  will  take  trouble  to  make 
conversation  interesting. — Hamerton. 

The   Bluebeard   Story. 

The  story  of  Bleubeard  originated  in  France.  In  the 
original  romance  the  Chevalier  Raoul  has  a  blue  beard, 
from  which  he  gets  his  name.  The  incidents  are  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  we  know  them  in  the  familiar 
nursery  tale.  "  The  historic  original  of  Chevalier  Raoul 
would  appear  to  be  one  Giles  de  Laval,  Lord  of  Raiz, 
who  was  made  marshal  of  France  in  1429,  and  fought 
in  defence  of  his  country  when  invaded  by  the  English  ; 
but  his  cruelty  and  wickedness  seem  to  have  eclipsed 
his  bravery,  and  he  is  remembered  chiefly  for  his  crimes. 
He  is  said  to  have  taken  pleasure,  among  other  atroci- 
ties, in  corrupting  young  persons  of  both  sexes  and 
afterwards  in  murdering  them  for  the  sake  of  their 
blood,  which  he  used  in  his  diabolical  incantations.  Out 
of  this  fact,  in  itself  probabh^  half  mythical,  the  main 
features  of  the  tale  of  Bluebeard  have  probably  grown." 

The  Rosetta  Stone. 
The  key  to  the  interpretation  of  Egyptian  hieroglyph- 
ics was  first  given  through  the  means  of  the  Rosetta 
stone,  which  was  discovered  in  1799,  by  M.  Boussard,  a 
French  officer  of  engineers  during  the  French  occupa- 
tion of  Egypt,  in  an  excavation  made  at  Fort  St.  Julian, 
near  Rosetta,  on  the  Bolbitic  branch  of  the  Nile,  about 
four  miles  above  the  mouth.     The  "  stone  "  is  a  trilin- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  243 

gual  inscription  in  hieroglyphic,  Roman,  and  Greek.  It 
is  a  black  basalt,  about  3  feet  7  inches  in  length  and  2 
feet  6  inches  in  width.  It  contains  in  its  present  state 
about  one-third  of  the  hieroglyphics,  and  nearly  all  the 
Roman  and  Greek  parts,  the  upper  part  and  portion  of 
the  side  having  been  broken  away. 

The  contents  are  a  decree  in  honor  of  Ptolemy 
Epiphanes  by  the  priests  of  Egypt,  assembled  in  a 
synod  at  Memphis,  on  account  of  his  remission  of  ar- 
rears of  taxes  and  dues  owed  by  the  sacerdotal  body. 
It  was  set  up  b.  c.  195,  and  it  is  the  only  one  of  the 
numerous  examples  ordered  to  be  placed  which  has 
been  brought  to  light.  The  stone  was  delivered  up  to 
the  British  on  the  capitulation  of  Alexander,  and  wac 
taken  to  England  in  1802  and  placed  in  the  British 
Museum. 

How  People  Have  Become  Lions. 

Probably  not  one  in  a  hundred  of  the  people  who 
to-day  talk  of  wonders — living  or  otherwise — as  ''  lions  " 
know  or  remember  if  they  ever  heard,  the  origin  of 
the  phrase,  which  was  this: — Within  the  recollection  of 
some  of  us  a  show  of  lions  was  one  of  the  attractions 
of  a  visit  to  the  Tower  of  London,  and  so  famous  was 
this  show  in  times  past,  when  traveling  menageries  were 
nonexistent,  that  it  became  the  bounden  duty  of  every 
"  country  cousin  "  to  go  and  see  the  wonderful  sight 
of  a  real  live  lion  in  London;  hence  the  proverbial  ex- 
pression.— London  Globe. 

The  Swiftest  Running  Animal. 

In  a  recent  number  of  The  Sun  I  saw  a  statement 
that  the  greyhound  is  probably  the  swiftest  quadruped. 
But  there  is  an  animal  on  the  Colorado  plains  which  is 
much  swifter.  It  is  the  small  red  prairie  fox,  commonly 
known  as  the  "  swift."  A  good  greyhound  will  pull 
down  two  or  three  from  a  bunch  of  antelopes,  but  the 
swift  escapes  readily  from  him.  ^  In  the  chase  the  fox 
will  stop  still  and  wait  until  the  fiound  is  near  him,  and 
then  easily  distance  him,  and  repeat  the  same  manoeuvre. 
It  does  not  jump,  like  a  hound,  but  runs  with  a  peculiar 


244  CURIOUS  FACTS 

gliding  motion.  Its  legs  are  of  medium  length,  and 
muscular. 

On  one  occasion  one  escaped  from  a  box  trap,  by 
the  side  of  which  I  was  standing.  Near  me  was  a 
shepherd  aog,  wiio  was  a  good  enough  runner  to  pick 
up  a  jack  raobit  occasionally,  ihe  dog  jumped  for  the 
fox  as  the  latter  came  out  of  the  trap,  yet  at  a  distance 
of  150  feet  the  fox  stopped  still  and  waited  for  the  dog. 

In  regard  to  jack  rabbits,  they  are  not  so  swift  as 
generally  supposed.  Their  progress  is  by  tremendous 
jumps.  I  have  measured  twenty-four  feet  in  the  snow, 
m  a  straight  hne  between  successive  footprints,  and  the 
animal  was  gomg  up  hill,  too.  But  in  these  liights  they 
lose  time,  and  the  hound,  wolf,  and  fox,  whose  feet 
strike  the  ground  more  constantly,  will  readily  over- 
take them. 

These  facts  are  from  my  own  experience,  and  may  be 
relied  upon. — Walter  L.  Wilder. 

The  First  Lightning  Rod. 

Everybody  believes  that  Franklin  was  the  inventor 
and  constructor  of  the  first  lightning  rod.  In  this  one 
particular  everybody  is  mistaken.  The  first  lightning 
catcher  was  not  invented  by  the  great  philosopher,  but 
by  a  poor  monk  of  Seuttenberg,  Bohemia,  who  put  up 
the  first  lightning  rod  on  the  palace  of  the  curator  of 
Preditz,  Moravia,  June  15,  1754.  The  name  of  the 
inventive  monk  was  Prohop  Dilwisch.  The  apparatus 
was  composed  of  a  pole  surmounted  by  an  iron  rod. 
supporting  twelve  curved  branches,  and  terminating  in 
as  many  metallic  boxes  filled  with  iron  ore,  and  en- 
closed by  a  wooden  box-like  cover,  traversed  by  twenty- 
seven  iron  pointed  rods,  the  bases  of  which  found  a 
resting  place  in  the  ore  box.  The  entire  system  of 
wires  was  united  to  the  earth  by  a  large  chain.  The 
enemies  of  Dilwisch,  jealous  of  his  success,  excited 
peasants  of  the  locality  against  him,  and,  under  the  pre- 
text that  his  lightning  rod  was  the  cause  of  the  excessive 
dry  weather,  had  the  rod  taken  down  and  the  inventor 
imprisoned.  Years  afterwards  M.  Melsen  used  the 
multiple  pointed  rod  as  an  invention  of  his  own. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  S45 

A  Tree  That  Yields  Milk. 

The  cow  tree,  that  botanical  curiosity  of  South  Amer- 
ica, grows  on  the  broad,  barren  plateaus  of  Venezuela, 
where  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  find  fluid  suf- 
ficient to  slack  one's  thirst  were  it  not  for  this  wise 
Drovision  of  nature. 

The  sap  of  the  cow  tree,  as  its  name  implies,  re- 
sembles milk,  both  in  look  and  taste.  A  slight  balsamic 
taste  has  been  reported  by  some  naturalists  who  have 
drank  of  the  strange  liquid;  otherwise  it  was  said  to 
"  have  the  flavor  of  rich  cream,  and  to  be  very  whole- 
some and  nourishing." 

The  tree  itself  frequently  attains  a  height  of  100  to 
125  feet,  it  being  not  unusual  to  see  a  trunk  of  this 
species  seventy  to  eighty  feet,  perfectly  smooth  and 
without  a  limb.  A  hole  bored  into  or  a  wound  made 
in  the  bark  of  this  wonderful  tree  is  almost  immediately 
filled  with  a  lacteal-like  fluid,  which  continues  to  flow 
for  some  days,  or  until  it  coagulates  at  the  mouth  of 
the  wound  and  forms  a  waxy  mass,  which  stops  further 
flow. 

Humboldt,  the  first  to  give  a  scientific  description  of 
the  baobad  tree  of  Africa,  was  the  first  to  tell  of  the 
wonders  of  the  cow  tree,  as  it  was  called  in  his  time. 
— St.  Louis  Republic. 

Tributes  Paid  to  Women. 

Woman  is  the  masterpiece. — Confucius. 
Women  teach  us  repose,  civility,  and  dignity. — Vol- 
taire. 

Shakespeare  has  no  heroes,  he  has  only  heroines.— 

RUSKIN. 

All  that  I  am  my  mother  made  me. — ^John  Quincy 
Adams. 

If  woman  lost  Eden,  such  as  she  alone  can  restore  it, 
— Whittier. 

Woman  is  the  most  perfect  when  the  most  womanly. 
— Gladstone. 

Woman  is  last  at  the  cross  and  earliest  at  the  grave. 
— E.  S.  Barrett. 

A  handsome  woman  is  a  jewel;  a  good  woman  is  a 
treasure.— Sanidi. 


246  CURIOUS  FACTS 

There  is  a  woman  at  the  beginning  of  all  great  things. 
— Damartine. 

The  sweetest  thing  in  life  is  the  unclouded  welcome 
of  a  wife. — N.  P.  Willis. 

Women  are  a  new  race,  re-created  since  the  world 
received  Christianity — Beecher. 

Heaven  has  nothing  more  tender  than  a  woman's 
heart  when  it  is  the  abode  of  pity. — Luther. 

For  where  is  any  author  in  the  world  who  teaches 
such  beauty  as  a  woman's  eyes? — Shakespeare. 

Woman  is  born  for  love,  and  it  is  impossible  to  turn 
her  from  seeking  it. — Margaret  Fuller  Ossoli. 

When  Woman  Mails  a  Letter. 

Femininity  in  the  post-office  is  an  amusing  study.  In 
the  matter  of  dropping  a  simple,  ordinary,  white,  every 
day  letter,  for  instance,  she  affords  an  insight  into  the 
character  of  the  average  woman. 

The  looker-on  had  nothing  else  to  do  the  other  day 
than  to  watch  this  little  operation  for  five  minutes.  Out 
of  thirty  young  women  who  went  to  cast  their  epistles 
in  the  slot,  twenty-two,  by  exact  calculation,  withdrew 
the  letter  before  quite  letting  go  of  it  to  scan  both  sides 
of  the  note  to  be  "  very "  sure  the  letter  was  securely 
sealed,  properly  addressed,  stamped,  and  to  be  certain 
no  one  could  look  through  the  envelope  to  read  its  con- 
tents. Out  of  these  twenty-two  ladies  three  had  for- 
gotten to  put  a  stamp  on  their  letter,  and  two  had  to 
add  something  to  the  address  on  the  envelope,  while 
another  carried  off  with  her  the  letter  she  had  intended 
to  mail. — Boston  Record. 

Note  How  Your   Friend  Lauglis. 

It  is  a  well  known  and  easily  demonstrated  scientific 
fact  that  different  people  sound  different  vowels  when 
laughing,  from  which  fact  a  close  observer  has  drawn 
the  following  conclusions :  People  who  laugh  in  A 
(pronounced  as  ah)  are  frank,  honest,  and  fond  of 
noise  and  excitement,  though  they  are  often  of  a  versa- 
tile and  fickle  disposition.  Laughter  in  E  (pronounced 
as  ay)  is  peculiar  to  phlegmatic  and  melancholy  persons. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^d,') 

Those  who  laugh  in  I  (pronounced  as  ee)  are  children 
or  simple-minded,  obliging,  affectionate,  timid,  and  un- 
decided people.  To  laugh  in  O  indicates  generosity  and 
daring.  Avoid  if  possible  all  those  who  laugh  in  U,  as 
they  are  wholly  devoid  of  principle. 

How  Big  an  Orang  Outang  Is, 

The  North  Borneo  orang  outang  would  seem  to  be  a 
good  deal  bigger  than  the  Sarawak  one,  of  which  Wal- 
lace says  that  of  a  good  many  shot  by  him  the  largest 
stood  4  feet  2  inches  only.  Hornaday's  largest  was  4 
feet  4  inches.  In  North  Borneo  the  smallest  full  grown 
male  I  have  measured  was  4  feet  4  inches;  4  feet  9 
inches  seems  to  be  a  common  size.  A  Mr.  Adams  shot 
one  on  the  Suanlamba  said  to  be  4  feet  8  inches,  and  the 
one  Mr.  Dunlop  shot  near  the  club  stood  as  much  as 
4  feet  10  inches,  the  largest  on  record.  Mr.  Alber  shot 
one  on  the  Kinabatangan  which  measured  from  tip  to 
tip  of  its  fingers  86  inches  across  its  outspread  arms. — 
North  Borneo  Herald. 

God's  Acre. 

The  old  Teutonic  and  Saxon  term,  "  God's  Acre," 
as  applied  to  the  last  resting  place  of  the  human  body, 
Longfellow  made  the  theme  of  one  of  his  most  touch- 
ing and  beautiful  poems;  it  is  an  eminently  suggestive 
term.  The  acre  or  field  of  God  contains  the  seed  hidden 
in  the  ground  for  a  while,  to  ripen  into  a  glorious 
harvest;  and,  just  as  we  write  the  labels  in  the  spring 
time  for  seed  we  put  in  the  ground,  that  we  may  re- 
member what  beautiful  flower  is  to  spring  from  the  little 
gray  atom,  so  we  put  a  stone  at  the  head  of  the  grave 
of  our  dead.  The  name  "  cemetery "  also  signifies 
merely  the  place  where  one  may  lie,  slumbering  for 
awhile,  till  the  dawn  shall  come  and  the  trumpet  sound. 

The   Touracos. 

There  has  been  recently  some  interest  aroused  in 
those  very  remarkable  birds,  the  touracos,  on  account 
of  the  curious  fact  that  the  red  pigment  in  their  wing 
feathers  can  be,  partially,  at  least,  washed  out  with  pure 


248  CURIOUS  FACTS 

water.  This  is  generally  believed  to  be  a  unique  in- 
stance of  the  kind,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  be  so.  A 
correspondent  states  that  another  animal — a  mammal 
this  time — shares  with  the  touracos  the  peculiarity  of 
being  tinted  with  colors  that  "  run."  This  animal  is  a 
Brazilian  tree  porcupine,  with  bright  yellow  spines, 
which  are  hidden  by  a  dense  coat  of  fur.  The  porcu- 
pine is,  unlike  the  common  Indian  form,  a  tree-dwelling 
creature,  with  a  comparatively  long  prehensile  tail.  The 
yellow  pigment  of  the  spines  can  be  extracted  by  water, 
which  then  becomes  a  pale  lemon  yellow  hue.  But  as 
the  porcupine  frequents  trees,  and  as  it  is  covered  with 
long  hair,  it  does  not  seem  probable  that  in  a  state  of 
nature  the  warm  rain  of  the  tropics  would  ever  bleach 
the  spines,  as  it  is  said  to  bleach  the  feathers  of  the 
touraco. 

Origin  of  Names  of  Fabrics. 

Muslin  is  named  from  Mosul,  in  Asia. 

Taffeta  and  tabby  from  a  street  in  Bagdad. 

Drugget  is  derived  from  a  city  of  Ireland,  Drogheda. 

Cambric  from  Cambrai.  Gauze  has  its  name  from 
Gaza. 

Baize  from  Bajac;  dimity  from  Damietta,  and  jeans 
from  Jean. 

Damask  is  from  the  city  of  Damascus.  Satins  from 
Zaytown,  in  China. 

Velvet  is  from  the  Italian,  vellute,  woolly.  (Latin, 
vellus — a  hide  or  pelt.) 

Serge  derives  its  name  from  Xerga,  a  Spanish  name 
for  a  peculiar  woollen  blanket. 

Shawl  is  the  Sanscrit  sala  (floor),  for  shawls  were 
first  used  as  carpets  and  tapestry. 

Bandanna  is  from  an  Indian  word  to  bind  or  tie, 
because  it  is  tied  in  knots  before  dyeing. 

Alpaca  is  from  an  animal  in  Peru,  of  the  llama  spe- 
cies, from  whose  wool  the  fabric  is  woven. 

Diaper  is  not  from  D'Ypres,  as  it  is  sometimes  stated, 
but  from  the  Greek  diaspron,  figured. 

Buckram  takes  its  name  from  Fostat  a  city  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  from  which  the  modern  Cairo  is 
descended. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  249 

Calico  from  Calicut,  a  town  in  India,  formerly  cele- 
brated for  its  cotton  cloth,  and  where  calico  was  also 
printed. 

Blanket  is  called  after  Thomas  Blanket,  a  famous 
clothier,  connected  with  the  introduction  of  woollens 
into  England  about  1340. 

How  to  Split  Paper. 

According  to  Popular  Science  News,  there  are  two 
ways  of  splitting  a  piece  of  paper.  One  is  to  lay  the 
sheet  of  paper  on  a  piece  of  glass,  soak  it  thoroughly 
with  water,  and  then  press  it  smoothly  over  the  glass. 
With  a  little  care  the  upper  half  of  the  sheet  can  be 
peeled  off,  leaving  the  under  half  on  the  glass.  Let 
this  dry  and  it  will  come  off  the  glass  easily;  of  course 
the  glass  must  be  perfectly  clean.  The  second  way  is  a 
better  one,  but  it  requires  some  good  practice.  Paste 
a  piece  of  cloth  or  strong  paper  on  each  side  of  the 
sheet  to  be  split.  When  it  has  thoroughly  dried,  pull 
the  two  pieces  of  cloth  apart  suddenly  and  violently. 
The  paste  can  then  be  softened  with  water,  and  the  two 
halves  of  the  sheet  easily  taken  off  the  cloths. 

Variety  in  Domestic  Life. 

The  evenings  of  great  numbers  of  families  are  mo- 
notonous humdrum.  They  involve  the  assemblage  of 
the  same  people,  the  same  surroundings,  the  same  pater- 
familias yawning  over  his  paper,  the  same  querulous 
mamma  overladen  with  family  cares.  Fresh  people  with 
fresh  thoughts,  fresh  atmosphere,  anything  to  stir  up 
and  agitate  the  pool  of  domestic  stagnation,  are  sadly 
needed  and  sadly  scarce.  There  needs  to  be  also  a 
constant  succession  of  such  fresh  people  to  bring  about 
these  results.  The  world  is  full  of  men  and  women, 
and  in  a  better  regulated  life  it  would  be  the  business 
after  the  day's  work  was  done  to  entertain  each  other, 
and  give  each  other  fresh  life.  As  it  is  now,  hundreds 
if  not  thousands  of  our  households  are  little  better  than 
cells  for  the  incarceration  of  each  family.  Thousands 
are  thus  worn  out  prematurely  from  utter  lack  of  do- 
mestic recreation.     There   might  be  written   over  the 


250  CURIOUS  FACTS, 

graves  of  hundreds  of  thousands,  "  Bored  to  death  by 
the  stagnation  of  domestic  Hfe." 

The  "  Corsican  Brothers." 

The  romantic  drama  of  the  ''  Corsican  Brothers  "  was 
suggested  to  the  eider  Alexander  Dumas  by  what  Louis 
Blanc,  whose  mother  was  a  Corsican,  told  him  of  the 
mysterious  spiritual  sympathy  existing  between  him  and 
his  younger  brother  Auguste.  They  were  so  closely 
allied  in  temperament  that  one  had  always  been  able  to 
determine,  however  widely  separated,  what  had  hap- 
pened to  the  other.  Louis  knew,  in  England,  when 
Auguste  was  suddenly  taken  ill  in  France;  Auguste 
knew  in  Spain  if  Louis  were  in  danger  in  Italy.  They 
had  repeated  experiences  of  this  sort,  and,  in  every 
instance,  their  vivid  impression,  their  inmost  revela- 
tion, flashing  through  space,  was  confirmed.  The  Blancs 
were  great  admirers  of  Dumas'  play,  and  frequently 
went  to  see  it  performed. — New  York  Commercial  Ad- 
vertiser, 

An   Elephant's   Sagacity. 

The  stories  illustrating  the  sagacity  of  the  elephant 
are  innumerable;  but  few  are  more  remarkable  than 
the  following  one  recorded  by  a  writer  m  a  Bombay 
paper  upon  the  authority  of  an  artillery  officer,  who  was 
a  witness  of  the  incident: — The  battering  train  was 
going  to  the  siege  of  Seringapatam,  when  an  artillery- 
man, who  was  seated  on  the  tumbril  of  one  of  the 
guns,  by  some  accident  fell  almost  directly  under  the 
hind  wheel.  The  elephant  stationed  behind  the  gun, 
perceiving  the  man's  danger,  instantly,  without  any  order 
from  its  keeper,  lifted  up  the  wheel  with  its  trunk,  and 
kept  it  suspended  till  the  carriage  had  passed  clear  of 
him. 

The  Mile  in  all  Countries. 

Not  only  the  mile  of  the  separate  countries  differs 
greatly  in  the  number  of  feet  and  yards  comprised,  but 
those  of  the  same  countries  vary  in  different  provinces. 
Thus  the  English  mile  differs  from  the  statute  mile,  and 
the  French  have  three  sorts  of  leagues. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^51 

The  English  mile  consists  of  5,280  feet,  1,760  yards, 
or  8  furlongs. 

The  Russian  '' verst "  is  about  three-quarters  of  an 
English  mile. 

The  Scotch  and  Irish  mile  is  about  one  and  a  quarter 
English. 

1  he  Dutch,  Spanish,  and  Polish  mile  is  three  and  a 
half  English. 

The  German  mile  is  four  times  as  long  as  the  Eng- 
lish. 

The  Swedish,  Danish,  and  Hungarian  mile  is  from 
five  to   six  and  a  half   English  miles. 

The  French  common  league  is  three  English  miles. 

The  English  marine  league  is  three  English  miles. — 
St.  Louis  Republic. 

How  to  Enjoy  Life. 

To  enjoy  life  does  not  mean  going  or  staying.  If 
you  can  watch  a  tree  growing,  a  flower  blooming,  or 
the  blue  sky  deepening;  if  you  can  listen  to  a  goose 
squawking  along  a  dusty  lane,  to  a  pullet  cackling  over 
a  first  Qggj  to  a  sleepy  child  crooning  herself  to  sleep 
with  a  little  tune;  if  you  can  watch  a  cow  licking  her 
calf,  a  young  mother  suckling  her  babe,  and  take  a 
big  interest  in  all  these  things,  feeling  in  the  marrow 
of  you  their  meaning,  and  that  they  are  a  true  part  of 
life's  sweetness  and  simplicity,  why  then  I  think  you 
may  truly  answer  "  Yes,  oh  yes,"  when  one  questions 
you,   "Do  you  enjoy  life,  good  sir?" 

It  is  not  a  good  habit  to  be  bored  of  things,  to  culti- 
vate ennui.  Every  day  the  sun  comes  up  and  shines, 
and  hearts  beat  and  people  are  born,  and  some  die  and 
some  marry  and  some  hate  and  more  love,  so  who  are 
you  and  what  are  you  to  strut  around  like  a  fool  of  a 
turkey  gobbler  the  week  before  Thanksgiving,  and  say 
you  are  bored  and  life  is  too  dull  for  your  palate? 
After  all  you  fill  no  more  space  than  a  fool  takes  on 
the  sidewalk  or  under  the  green  grass;  so  be  careful 
how  you  venture  to  draw  about  you  a  circle  of  ex- 
clusiveness.  Be  careful  how  you  fall  into  the  way  of 
thinking  the  earth  was  made  for  you.  Do  not  insist,  as 
many  selfish  people  do,  on  going  through  the  world  with 


2S2  CURIOUS  FACTS 

an  air  cushion  upon  which  you  may  sit  in  luxurious 
ease,  while  there  are  only  stony  benches  for  the  rest 
of  poor  mortality — Catharine  Cole. 

What  Makes  Wrinkles. 

The  general  impression  about  wrinkles  is  that  they 
are  caused  by  worry,  but  the  truth  is  that  most  of  them 
come  from  laughing.  To  know  how  to  laugh  is  just 
as  important  as  to  know  when  to  do  it.  If  you  laugh 
with  the  sides  of  your  face  the  skin  will  work  loose 
in  time,  and  wrinkles  will  form  in  exact  accordance 
with  the  kind  of  laugh  you  have.  The  man  who  al- 
ways wears  a  smirk  will  have  a  s'eries  of  semicircular 
wrinkles  covering  his  cheeks.  A  gambler,  who  is  ac- 
customed to  suppressing  his  feelings,  generally  has  a 
deep  line  running  from  each  side  of  his  nose  to  the 
upper  corner  of  his  mouth,  which  in  time  extends  to 
the  chin,  forming  the  shape  of  a  half  moon.  A  cadaver- 
ous person  is  usually  marked  with  two  wrinkles,  one 
on  the  jaw  and  the  other  under  the  eye.  meeting  at 
right  angles  at  the  cheek  bones.  The  scholar's  wrinkle 
forms  on  his  brow,  while  a  schemer's  wrinkles  come 
around  his  eyes,  and  look  like  spokes  of  a  wheel. 

Samoan  Mats. 

Among  the  curious  customs  of  the  Samoan  people 
is  that  of  making  heirlooms  of  mats.  By  some  simple 
process  of  reasoning  the  mat  has  come  to  be  identified 
with  the  family,  as  the  hearthstone  is  traditionally  sacred 
among  the  Saxon  race.     Mr.  Cooper  writes : 

If  there  is  one  thing  about  which  the  Samoans  boast, 
it  is  their  mats,  and  they  are  really  fine  specimens  of 
art;  in  fact,  the  people  esteem  them  more  highly  than 
any  article  of  European  manufacture,  and  the  older  they 
are  the  more  they  are  regarded. 

Some  of  them  have  names  known  all  over  the  group. 
The  oldest  is  called  Moe-e-Fui-Fui,  or  "  The  mat  that 
slept  among  the  creepers."  It  got  this  title  from  its 
having  been  hidden  away  for  years  among  the  creep- 
ing convolvulus  that  grows  wild  along  the  seashore.  It 
is  known  to  be  200  years  old,  as  the  names  of  its  own- 
ers during  that  long  time  can  be  traced. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  ^53 

The  possession  of  one  of  these  old  mats  gives  the 
owner  great  power;  in  fact,  it  is  a  title  deed  to  rank 
and  property.  It  is  no  matter  if  the  mats  are  tattered 
and  worn  out ;  their  antiquity  is  their  value,  and  for 
some  of  the  most  cherished  of  them  $500  would  be 
scornfully  refused. 

Foundlings  in  Russia. 

According  to  official  statements  relating  to  the  Rus- 
sian foundling  hospitals  at  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow 
about  1,000,000  newly  born  children  have  been  given 
over  to  them  durmg  the  last  hundred  year's,  most  of 
them  illegitimate.  Of  this  large  number  nearly  800,000 
have  died  in  the  first  months  or  first  year  of  their  ex- 
istence. The  well  known  authority  on  statistics,  Alex- 
ander Von  Oettingen,  who  in  his  "  Moral  Statistics " 
has  treated  of  the  state  of  things  in  these  Russian 
hospitals,  satirically  calls  it  *'  Chronischer  Kindermord 
auf  Staatskosten  "  C'  chronic  infanticide  at  the  cost  of 
the  state").  It  is  now  asserted  that  the  Russian  gov- 
ernment intends  to  carry  out  a  radical  reorganization  of 
both  hospitals.  Probably,  says  our  St.  Petersburg  corre- 
spondent, a  number  of  smaller  foundling  hospitals  will 
be  established  in  the  provinces  to  take  the  place  of  the 
two  large  central  hospitals,  which  now  receive  about 
30,000  infants  annually. — London  News. 

The  Age  for  Consumption. 

Consumption  is  rare  in  childhood,  but  increases  rapidly 
after  the  age  of  15,  and  is  most  common  between  the 
ages  of  25  and  30.  Those  who  escape  it  till  the  latter 
age  are  less  and  less  prone  to  it  as  they  advance  in 
years,  and  may  escape  it  entirely,  even  though  they 
may  have  a  hereditary  predisposition  to  it. 

How  Camphor  is  Made. 

Golden  Days  tells  that  camphor  is  made  in  Japan 
in  this  way :  After  a  tree  is  felled  to  the  earth  it  is  cut 
into  chips,  which  are  laid  in  a  tub  or  a  large  iron  pot 
partly  filled  with  water  and  placed  over  a  slow  fire. 
Through  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  tub  steam  slowly 


254  CURIOUS  FACTS 

rises,  and  heating  the  chips  generates  oil  and  camphor. 
Of  course  the  tub  with  the  chips  has  a  closely  fitting 
cover.  From  this  cover  a  bamboo  pipe  leads  to  a 
succession  of  other  tubs  with  the  bamboo  connections 
and  the  last  of  these  tubs  is  divided  into  two  compart- 
ments, one  above  the  other,  the  dividing  floor  being 
perforated  with  small  holes  to  allow  the  water  and  oil 
to  pass  to  the  lower  compartment.  The  upper  compart- 
ment is  supplied  with  a  straw  layer,  which  catches  and 
holds  the  camphor  in  crystal  in  deposit  as  it  passes  to 
the  cooling  process.  The  camphor  is  then  separated 
from  the  straw,  packed  in  wooden  tubs,  and  is  ready 
for  market.  The  oil  is  used  by  the  natives  for  illumin- 
ating and  other  purposes. 

To  Destroy  Insects  on  Animals. 

A  wash  made  of  the  water  in  which  potatoes  have 
been  boiled  is  a  certain  means  of  destroying  insects  on 
animals.  The  first  application  is  generally  effectual,  but 
it  had  better  be  repeated  a  few  times  in  order  to  destroy 
the  eggs.  The  same  means  may  be  used  against  the 
parasites  in  which  mange  originates,  and  probably  w^ould 
remove  plant  lice  also.  This  insecticidal  property  of 
the  potato  is  supposed  to  be  owing  to  the  solanine, 
which  is  one  of  its  constituents. 

The  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask. 

Some  writers  have  denied  the  existence  of  such  a 
person  as  the  "  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask,"  but  late  in- 
vestigations have  established  it  beyond  question.  The 
register  kept  by  Dujunca,  chief  turnkey  of  the  Bastile, 
proves  that  the  prisoner  was  committed  on  Thursday, 
September  i8,  1698,  having  been  brought  thither  from 
the  island  of  St.  Marguerite  by  Saint-Mars,  who  ex- 
changed in  that  year  the  governorship  of  the  state 
prison  there  for  that  of  the  Bastile.  The  removal  was 
made  with  extraordinary  precaution  and  secrecy.  The 
prisoner  was  carried  in  a  close  litter,  which  preceded 
Saint-Mars,  and  w^as  accompanied  by  a  mounted  guard. 
His  face  was  covered  with  a  black  velvet  mask  fastened 
with  steel  springs,  which  he  was  forbidden  to  remove 


CURIOUS  FACTS  255 

on  pain  of  instant  death.  He  was  not  allowed  to  speak 
to  any  one  except  the  governor,  who  watched  him  with 
jealous  care,  and  always  kept  a  pair  of  pistols  at  hand 
to  destroy  him  in  case  he  made  an  effort  to  reveal 
himself.  When  in  the  Bastile,  he  was  attended  at 
meals  and  at  his  toilet  by  Saint-Mars  himself,  who  re- 
moved personally  and  examined  or  destroyed  the  linen 
which  he  had  worn,  lest  he  might  make  known  his 
secret  by  means  of  some  mark  on  it.  At  mass  he  was 
forbidden  to  speak  or  show  himself,  and  the  Invalides, 
who  stood  by  with  loaded  muskets,  had  orders  to  shoot 
him  if  he  made  the  attempt.  He  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  of  St.  Paul.  After  his  death  everything  which 
had  been  used  or  worn  by  him  was  burned.  It  has 
never  been  definitely  settled  who  he  was. — Boston 
Budget. 

Bainfalls. 

It  is  said  that  610  inches  of  rain  fell  in  one  year  at 
Cherrapongee,  tropical  Asia.  Two  hundred  and  fifty- 
four  inches  of  rainfall  has  been  recorded  in  one  year 
at  Mahabuleswher,  in  the  western  Ghauts  of  India.  At 
Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  278  inches  of  rain  have  fallen.  In 
Matoula  Gaudeloupe,  West  Indies,  292  inches  have 
fallen.  At  San  Louis  de  Maranham,  Brazil,  280  inches 
have  been  recorded.  At  Sierra  Leone,  tropical  Africa, 
312  inches  have  been  noted.  The  annual  rainfall  in 
the  British  Islands,  among  the  mountains,  is  41  inches; 
on  the  plains,  25  inches;  45  inches  of  rain  falls  on  the 
west  side  of  England,  27  on  the  east  side.  Eighty-two 
inches  of  rain  falls  on  parts  of  the  west  side  of  the 
Scandinavian  mountains,  and  only  21  inches  at  Stock- 
holm, on  the  east  side.  The  amount  of  rainfall  at 
Boston  is  39  inches;  Hanover,  N.  H.,  38  inches;  New 
York,  2>^  inches. 

Good  Points  of  a  Horse. 

Plenty  of  breadth  and  fullness  between  the  eyes. 
A  short,  straight  back  and  a  straight  rump. 
The  eye  should  be  full,  and  in  color  a  hazel  is  good. 
A  small  thin  ear  well  thrown  forward,  and  a  straight 
elegant  face. 


256  CURIOUS  FACTS 

A  square  muzzle,  with  large  nostrils  to  let  in  plenty 
of  air  to  the  lungs. 

The  withers  should  be  high  and  the  shoulders  well 
set  back  and  broad,  but  not  too  deep  in  the  chest. 

For  the  under  side  of  the  head  a  good  horse  should 
be  well  cut  under  the  jowl,  with  jaw-bones  broad  and 
wide  apart  under  the  muzzles. 

The  fore  leg  should  be  short.  A  pretty  straight  hind 
leg  with  the  hock  low  down,  the  pastern  joint  of  good 
length  and  a  medium  broad  foot. — Fort  Worth  Gazette. 

A  Hospitable  Horse. 

A  remarkable  degree  of  intelligence  and  kindness  to 
a  stable  companion  is  shown  by  a  horse  in  Boston. 
One  of  the  mounted  police  officers  leaves  his  horse  in 
the  stable  connected  with  the  station  on  Blue  Hill 
Avenue,  near  Dudley  Street,  while  he  answers  to  the 
roll  call  at  noon  and  again  at  six  o'clock.  The  officer 
fastens  his  horse  to  the  post  forming  one  corner  at  the 
head  of  another  horse's  stall,  and  as  soon  as  the  ani- 
mal is  tied,  the  other  picks  up  a  mouthful  of  hay,  forces 
it  through  the  iron  grating  about  his  stall,  and  waits 
until  his  guest  has  eaten  it.  Then  he  repeats  the  opera- 
tion and  continues  his  hospitality  until  the  officer  re- 
turns for  his  horse.  He  began  to  do  this  without  any 
suggestion  from  the  men,  and  he  does  it  twice  a  day, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  visitor.  His  perform- 
ance has  attracted  considerable  attention  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  his  politeness  has  won  him  many  friends. 
— Boston  Letter. 

For  Hill  Climbers. 

Dr.  J.  Bucheister  has  made  a  most  interesting  cal- 
culation on  the  "  work  done "  by  mountaineers  in  as- 
cending heights.  Supposing  a  mountaineer  weighing 
i68  pounds  is  making  the  ascent  of  a  summit  7,000 
feet  high  from  the  point  of  starting,  he  has  to  expend 
an  amount  of  physical  force  found  by  multiplying  his 
weight  by  the  height  to  be  ascended.  In  the  case  as- 
sumed, a  weight  168  pounds,  multiplied  by  a  height  of 
7,000  feet,  equals  1,176,000  foot  pounds;  or,  in  other 
words,  1,176,000  pounds  have  to  be  lifted  one  foot 


CURIOUS  FACTS  557 

This  is  work  performed  merely  by  the  muscles  of 
the  legs,  but  besides  this,  the  contractions  of  the  muscles 
of  the  heart  have  to  be  taken  into  account.  Its  func- 
tion consists,  as  is  well  known,  in  propelling  the  blood 
collecting  in  the  heart  on  the  one  hand  into  the  arteries, 
and  on  the  other  into  the  lungs.  This  is  effected  at 
an  initial  velocity  of  one  and  one-half  foot  per  second, 
which  represents  in  the  case  of  an  adult  a  work  of  four 
foot  pounds  for  each  contraction  of  the  heart.  The 
pulsations  of  an  adult  are,  on  an  average,  seventy-two 
per  minute,  but  in  ascending  heights,  owing  to  the  ad- 
ditional exertion,  their  number  is  increased  to  an 
extraordinary   extent. 

Assuming,  for  the  sake  of  simplicity  in  calculation, 
only  100  beats  of  the  pulse  per  minute,  this  would  give 
400  foot  pounds  per  minute,  24,000  foot  pounds  per 
hour,  and  120,000  foot  oounds  for  the  five  hours  sup- 
posed to  be  required  in  ascending  a  height  of  7,000  feet. 
The  work  perform.ed  by  the  muscles  in  breathing,  by 
the  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  chest,  may  also 
be  estimated  at  4  foot  pounds.  Assuming,  further,  that 
the  number  of  breathings  per  minute  is,  on  the  average, 
only  25,  although,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  will  be  found 
to  be  higher  in  a  mountain  ascent  lasting  five  hours,  we 
have  to  add  further  work  of  30,000  foot  pounds. 

The  total  work  performed  during  five  hours  by  a 
mountaineer  consequently  amounts  to  1,326,000  foot 
pounds. — Iron. 

A  Humane  Age. 

A  commercial  and  manufacturing  age  is  not  neces- 
sarily one  of  greed  and  selfishness.  This  is  pre-emi- 
nently such  an  epoch,  and  the  ''  finer  humanities  "  have 
more  practical  recognition  now  than  in  former  periods 
of  the  world's  history.  Philanthropic  enterprises  as  well 
as  philanthropic  societies  abound.  The  condition  of  the 
destitute  poor  excites  more  notice  than  formerly.  The 
reform  of  prisons,  their  discipline,  and  their  sanitary 
aspects,  is  becoming  general.  The  mitigation  of  the 
rigors  of  criminal  codes  is  a  feature  of  the  times.  The 
nearly  complete  sweeping  away  of  the  disabilities  of 
women  is  significant.     The  laws  for  the  protection  of 


2S8  CURIOUS  FACTS 

minors  are  in  the  same  line.  War  is  being  measurably- 
relieved  from  its  barbarities.  Institutions  of  exceptional 
iniquity  are  disappearing.  Schoolroom  abuses  are 
getting  rarer.  The  public  will  not  tolerate  outrages 
on  the  insane  and  on  paupers  under  public  care.  Pro- 
visions for  safety  at  sea  are  multiplying,  and  fire 
escapes  in  exposed  buildings  is  compulsory.  All  around 
there  is  evidence  of  a  keen  and  effective  recognition  of 
the  claims  of  humanity,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  note  it. 

Japanese  Dwarf  Trees. 

In  one  corner  of  the  Paris  Exposition  was  a  re- 
markable exhibit  from  Tokio,  consisting  of  plants  two 
feet  in  height  or  less,  and  growing  in  porcelain  vases. 
These  were  miniature  and  perfectly  proportioned  trees 
of  various  species,  some  of  them,  according  to  the 
labels,  being  lOO  and  150  years  old.  These  dwarfs  are 
the  results  of  careful  culture  and  training.  At  an  early 
age  they  are  planted  in  small  pots,  and  the  upward 
growth  is  interrupted  continually,  and  is  forced  to  grow 
horizontally,  spirally,  and  even  downwards,  being  se- 
cured in  these  unnatural  positions  by  strings  and  sticks 
which  become  very  numerous  in  course  of  time. 

These  plants  and  the  care  of  them  are  handed  down 
from  father  to  son.  Am.ong  these  curious  plants  on 
exhibition  in  Paris  may  be  mentioned  an  80-year-old 
maple  which  is  20  inches  high ;  a  lo-year-old,  12  inches, 
and  a  group  of  retinosporas  80  years  old  and  8  to  12 
inches  high.  If  allowed  to  grow  freely,  they  would  have 
attained  a  height  of  about  10  feet.  Some  of  the  pines 
were  '150  years  old,  and  the  oldest  was  but  24  inches 
high. 

The  Mean  Height  of  Land. 

The  mean  height  of  land  above  sea-level,  according 
to  Mr.  John  Maury,  the  geographer  and  engineer,  is 
2,250  feet,  and  the  mean  depth  of  the  ocean  is  12,480 
feet.  Only  2  per  cent  of  the  sea  is  included  inside  a 
depth  of  500  fathoms,  while  yy  per  cent  lies  between 
500  and  3.000  fathoms.  If  the  land  were  filled  into 
the  hollows  the  sea  would  roll  over  the  earth's  crust  to 
a  uniform  depth  of  two  miles. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  259 

Uses  of  Common  Salt. 

Among  the  many  uses  of  common  salt  may  be  men- 
tioned two  which  admit  of  frequent  application.  Salt 
put  in  water  which  surrounds  the  ordinary  glue  pot 
causes  a  hotter  glue  to  be  obtained  than  where  simple 
water  is  used.  Salt  in  the  water  where  mason  work 
is  being  done  in  cold  weather  prevents  disintegration  by 
frost. 

Deathbed   Utterances. 

Rabelais  calmly  remarked,  ''  Drop  the  curtain,  the 
farce  is  played  out." 

The  last  words  attributed  to  **  Buckshot "  Foster  were 
"  No  home  rule." 

The  unhappy  Charles  I.  expired  with  the  word  "  Re- 
member "  on  his  lips. 

"  We  shall  soon  meet  again,"  were  the  last  words  of 
Louis  XIV.  to  Mme.  de  Maintenon. 

Wolcot,  the  poet's,  last  words  were,  when  asked  by 
his  friend  Taylor  if  he  could  do  anything  for  him  on 
earth :  ''  Give  me  back  my  youth." 

"  God  be  praised,"  exclaimed  Wolfe,  the  hero  of  Que- 
bec, on  learning  that  the  French  were  giving  way  in 
every  direction :    *'  I  die  happy." 

The  last  words  of  Lord  Tenterden,  the  famous  Eng- 
lish judge,  were,  "'  And  now,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
you   will   consider  your   verdict." 

''  I  heard  say  the  executioner  was  very  good,  and  I 
have  a  little  neck,"  said  Anne  Boleyn,  putting  her  hands 
about  it  and  laughing  heartily. 

"  I  pray  thee,  see  me  up  safe,  but  for  my  coming 
down  I  can  shift  for  myself,"  remarked  Sir  Thomas 
More,  observing  the  weakness  of  the  scaffold. 

Boileau,  the  poet,  in  the  same  breath  hailed  a  friend 
and  bade  him  farewell,  saying.  "Good  day  and  adieu; 
it  will  be  a  very  long  adieu,"  and  instantly  expired. 

Montcalm,  mortally  wounded  and  endeavoring  to 
rally  his  men,  replied,  when  told  that  his  end  was  ap- 
proaching, "  So  much  the  better ;  I  shall  not  live  to  see 
the  surrender  of  Quebec." 

Edmund  Kean  made  his  final  exit  in  the  middle  of 
the  greatest  scene  of  his  greatest  play,     "  Get  me  off. 


26o  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Charles,"  he  gasped,  ''  I'm  dying !  "  His  son  led  him 
off,  and  all  was  over. 

"  Come  and  lie  down,"  entreated  Dickens'  sister-in- 
law,  when  it  became  evident  that  a  fit  was  upon  him. 
"  Yes,  on  the  ground,"  he  said  very  distinctly,  as  he 
slid  from  her  arm  and  fell  to  the  floor. 

De  Lagny,  the  great  mathematician,  was  asked  the 
square  of  twelve  when  he  was  no  longer  able  to  recog- 
nize his  friends  about  his  bed,  and  mechanically  an- 
swered: ''One  hundred  and  forty-four." 

Phelps,  who  had  a  superstitious  horror  of  the  word 
"  farewell,"  while  acting  Wolsey,  and  actually  uttering 
the  ominous  words :  "  Farewell !  a  long  farewell  to  all 
my  greatness ! "  broke  down,  and  the  curtain  slowly 
dropped  upon   him   for  the   last   time. 

Mozart  wrote  his  requiem  under  the  conviction  that 
the  monument  he  was  erecting  to  his  genius  would 
prove  a  monument  to  his  own  remains.  When  life  was 
ebbing  fast  he  called  for  the  score;  and  as  he  mused 
over  it  he  said :  "  Did  I  not  tell  you  truly  that  it  was 
for  myself  that  I  composed  this  death  chant  ?  " 

Wrongly  Named. 

Titmouse  is  a  bird. 

Baffin's  bay  is  not  a  bay. 

Shrewmouse   is   no   mouse. 

Cat  gut  should  be  sheep  gut. 

Sealing  wax  contains  no  wax. 

Slave  means  noble  or  illustrious. 

Blind  worms  have  eyes  and  can  see. 

Irish  stew  is  a  dish  unknown  in  Ireland. 

Dutch  clocks  are  of  German  manufacture. 

Rice  paper  is  not  made  of  rice  or  the  rice  plant. 

Cleopatra's  needle  should  be  named  after  Thotmes  III. 

Kid  gloves  are  not  made  of  kid.  but  of  lamb  skin 
or  sheep  skin. 

German  silver  is  not  silver  at  all,  nor  of  German 
origin,   but  has  been  used  in   China  for   centuries. 

The  Old  Home. 

An  old  home  acquires  power  over  the  heart  with 
course  of  time;  it  comes  by  degrees  to  touch  the  imag- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  261 

ination  with  a  sense  of  life  inherent  in  itself.  Its 
timbers  are  not  dead  wood.  As  the  vibrations  of  the 
music  constrain  the  fibres  of  the  violin  till,  year  by 
year,  it  gives  forth  a  fuller  and  deeper  tone,  so  the 
vibrations  of  life,  as  generations  go  by,  shape  the  walls 
of  a  home  into  a  responsive  accord  with  the  human 
experience  that  goes  on  within  them.  Birth  and  death, 
joy  and  sorrow,  hope  and  disappointment — all  that  men 
endure  and  enjoy,  give  to  it  a  constantly  increasing 
sanctity  and  a  power  to  affect  the  hearts  of  those  who 
dwell  within  it.  Memory  awakens  imagination.  Each 
generation  has  set  its  lamp  upon  the  home  in  some 
change,  some  improvement.  The  lapse  of  years  alone 
makes  it  venerable,  but  if  a  succession  of  kindly,  hu- 
mane, and  loving  men  and  women  have  dwelt  in  it,  it 
becomes  the  memorial  happiness  and  an  incentive  to 
excellence.  The  older  it  is  the  sweeter  and  richer 
garden  does  it  become  of  human  charities  and  affec- 
tions.— Scribner's. 

Consumption  of  Coffee. 

Coffee  is  more  generally  consumed  in  Brazil  than  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world.  The  coffee  fields  of  Brazil 
cover  2,000,000  acres,  wath  iSoo,ooo,ooo  trees,  each  tree 
averaging  about  one  pound  per  annum.  The  industry 
there  employs  800,000  hands.  The  consumption  of  coffee 
in  Brazil  averages  yearly  14  pounds  per  inhabitant;  in 
Belgium  and  Holland,  11  pounds;  in  the  United  States, 
7  pounds;  in  Germany,  5  pounds;  and  in  Great  Britain 
very  little  more  than  half  a  pound.  The  English  drink 
five  times  as  much  tea  as  coffee,  while  we  drink  eight 
times  as  much  coffee  as  tea.  Down  to  1690  the  only 
source  of  coffee  supply  was  Arabia,  but  the  berry  is 
now  cultivated  throughout  most  regions  of  the  tropical 
world.  Java  and  Ceylon  are  the  principal  centres  of 
production  after  Brazil,  and  the  total  output  of  the 
world  has  been  estimated  to  am^ount  to  not  less  than 
1,000,000,000  pounds. 

How  Savages  Make  Tireu 

It  is  rather  difficult  for  us  to  imagine  people  who 
know  nothing  about  fire,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  there 


2^2  CURIOUS  FACTS 

are  no  people  now  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  no  matter 
how  barbarous,  who  do  not  know  how  to  make  tire. 
We  make  it  easily  enough  by  striking  a  match,  but  years 
ago  our  ancestors  were  compeiiea  to  resort  to  nmt, 
steel,  and  tinder. 

The  forest-dwelling  peoples  of  the  further  East  have 
an  odd  instrument  tor  making  hre.  Islear  the  coast 
every  man  carries  a  bit  of  crockery  m  the  box  of  bamboo 
slung  at  his  waist,  a  ch^p  ott  a  plate,  and  a  handful  of 
dry  tungus.  Holdnig  this  tinder  under  his  thumb  upon 
the  fragment  of  eartnenware,  he  strikes  the  side  of  the 
box  sharply  and  it  takes  fire. 

But  this  method  can  only  be  used  by  tribes  which 
have  such  communication  with  the  foreigner  as  sup- 
plies them  with  European  goods.  The  inland  peoples 
used  a  more  singular  process.  They  carried  a  short 
cylinder  of  lead,  hollowed  roughly  to  a  cup-like  form 
at  one  end,  which  fits  a  joint  of  bamboo.  Placing  this 
cylinder  in  the  palm  of  the  left  hand,  they  fill  the  cup 
with  tinder,  adjust  the  bamboo  over  it,  strike  it  sharply, 
remove  the  covering  as  quickly,  and  the  tinder  is  alight. 

To  Light  a  Lamp  with  a  Snowball. 

When  a  small  piece  of  potassium,  the  size  of  half  a 
grain  of  corn,  is  dropped  into  a  tumblerful  of  water, 
some  of  the  oxygen  of  the  water  leaves  its  hydrogen, 
owing  to  the  intense  heat  which  the  chemical  action 
produces,  and  combines  with  the  metallic  potassium, 
causing  a  violet  bluish  flame.  When  the  piece  of 
potassium  is  placed  on  the  wick  of  a  coal  oil  or  alcohol 
lamp,  the  flame  produced  by  touching  the  potassium 
with  a  bit  of  snow  or  ice  or  a  drop  of  water  will  in- 
flame  it. 

Swift  Fish. 

It  is  understood  that  for  short  distances  the  salmon 
is  the  swiftest  of  fish.  It  has  been  calculated  that  its 
speed,  at  high  pressure,  or  under  chase,  is  from  twenty 
to  twenty-five  miles  an  hour.  For  long  distances  the 
shark  is  believed  to  be  the  most  rapid  swimmer.  Gold- 
smith, referring  to  it  in  his  '*  Natural  History,"  says : 
"He  outstrips  the  swiftest  ships  (in  those  days),  plays 


CURIOUS  FACTS  363 

round  them,  darts  out  before  them,  returns,  seems  to 
gaze  at  the  passengers,  and  all  this  while  does  not 
seem  to  exhibit  the  smallest  effort  to  proceed."  It  is 
calculated  that  sharks  are  capable  of  keeping  up  a 
speed  of  from  seventeen  to  twenty  miles  an  hour.  The 
whale,  when  hard  pressed,  can  make  about  fifteen  miles 
an  hour,  though  its  usual  speed  seldom  exceeds  five. 

Mineral  "Wealth  of  Siberia. 

It  is  one  of  the  finest  undeveloped  countries  in  the 
world,  and  it  is  really  difficult  to  exaggerate  the  enor- 
mous wealth  of  this  gigantic  region.  The  soil  is  of 
almost  inexhaustible  wealth,  and  the  crops  magnificent. 
There  is  almost  no  limit  to  the  production  of  the  land. 
The  Russians  themselves  have  but  an  imperfect  idea 
of  the  immensity  of  their  natural  wealth,  and  other 
people  outside  Russia  cannot  realize  it  at  all.  Siberia, 
so  far  from  being  a  reefion  of  desolation  and  of  death, 
is  a  northern  Australia,  with  larger  rivers,  more  ex- 
tensive forests,  and  mineral  wealth  not  inferior  to  that 
of  the  inland  continent. 

In  a  few  years  Siberia  will  be  bridged  from  end  to 
end  with  railways,  and  in  this  matter  the  Russian  gov- 
ernment is  showing  a  large  and  wise  policy.  The  mag- 
nificent water  communications — for  it  is  irrigated  from 
end  to  end  with  some  of  the  largest  rivers  in  the  world, 
navigable  for  thousands  of  miles  through  fertile  and 
richly  wooded  lands,  destined  to  be  the  home  of  mil- 
lions of  colonists — and  a  canal  is  now  being  made 
between  the  Obi  and  the  Yenisei,  which  will  enable 
goods  to  be  conveyed  by  water  the  whole  way  from 
Tinmen  to  beyond  Lake  Baikal.  At  Tinmen  there  is 
a  railway  which  passes  through  the  Ural  mountains 
to  Ekaterineburg  and  Perm,  through  the  heart  of  the 
richest  mining  district  in  Western   Siberia. 

The  Power  of  Explosives. 

The  power  of  various  explosives  has  been  calculated 
to  be  equivalent  to  the  following  pressures,  the  figures 
giving  tons  per  square  inch:  emmensite,  a  new  ex- 
plosive, for  which  important  advantages  are  claimed  in 


264  CURIOUS  FACTS 

addition  to  great  power,  283;  nitro-glycerine,  264;  ex- 
plosive gelatine,  253;  forcite,  250;  oxomite,  249;  pan- 
clastite,  203;  gun  cotton,  198;  dynamite,  144;  atlas,  133; 
rackarock,    117;   roburite,   24;   blasting  gunpowder,   23. 

A  Spider  and  a  Beetle. 

A  big  spider  was  placed  on  a  rock  in  the  centre  of  an 
aquarium  in  a  recent  experiment,  and  a  larva  of  a 
water  beetle  put  near.  The  beetle  promptly  seized  the 
spider  and  pulled  it  into  the  water,  but  after  a  sharp 
struggle  the  spider  broke  away  and  escaped.  The  beetle 
soon  afterward  renewed  the  attack,  and  fastened  itself 
on  the  spider  by  its  pincers.  The  spider  also  got  a  good 
hold,  and  the  duel  resulted  in  the  death  of  both.  It  is 
said  that  if  two  of  the  larvse  are  placed  in  the  same 
aquarium  they  will  fight  until  one  or  the  other  is  dead, 
and  the  victor  will  decapitate  the  dead  one. 

General  Flag  Notes. 

To  "  strike  the  flag  "  is  to  lower  the  national  colors 
in  token  of  submission. 

Dipping  the  flag  is  lowering  it  slightly  and  then 
hoisting  it  again,  to  salute  a  vessel  or  fort. 

A  ''  flag  of  truce "  is  a  white  flag  displayed  to  an 
enemy  to  indicate  a  desire  for  a  parley  or  consultation. 

The  black  flag  is  a  sign  of  piracy.  The  yellow  flag 
shows  a  vessel  to  be  at  quarantine,  or  is  the  sign  of  a 
contagious  disease. 

A  flag  at  half-mast  means  mourning.  Fishing  and 
other  vessels  return  with  a  flag  at  half-mast  to  an- 
nounce the  loss  or  death  of  some  of  the  men. 

If  the  president  of  the  United  States  goes  afloat,  the 
American  flag  is  carried  in  the  bows  of  his  barge,  or 
hoisted  at  the  main  of  the  vessel  on  board  of  which 
he  is. 

Flags  are  used  as  the  symbol  of  rank  and  command, 
the  officers  using  them  being  called  flag  officers.  Such 
flags  are  square,  to  distinguish  them  from  other  banners. 

The  red  flag  is  a  sign  of  defiance,  and  is  often  used 
by  revolutionists.  In  the  American  service  it  is  a  mark 
of  danger,  and  shows  a  vessel  to  be  receiving  or  dis- 
charging her  powder. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  265 

The  white  flag  is  a  sign  of  peace.  After  a  battle 
parties  from  both  sides  often  go  out  to  the  field  to 
rescue  the  wounded  or  bury  the  dead  under  the  pro- 
tection of  a  white  flag, — Journal  of  Education. 

latroduction  of  Envelopes. 

Before  Sir  Rowland  Hill  introduced  the  penny  post, 
envelopes  were  little  used,  as  a  double  charge  was 
made  for  a  paper  inclosed  in  another,  however  thin 
each  might  be;  even  the  smallest  clipping  from  a  news- 
paper necessitated  an  extra  fee.  The  use  of  envelopes 
became  common  after  May  6,  1840,  when  stamped  and 
adhesive  envelopes  were  introduced.  The  first  envelope- 
making  machine  was  invented  by  Edwin  Hill,  brother 
of  Rowland  Hill ;  and  De  La  Rue's  machine  for  fold- 
ing envelopes  was  patented  March  17,  1845.  The  in- 
vention of  envelopes  has  been  attributed  to  S.  K- 
Brewer,  a  bookseller  and  stationer  of  Brighton,  about 
1830.  He  had  some  small  sheets  of  paper  on  which  it 
was  difficult  to  write  the  address;  he  invented  for  these 
a  small  envelope,  and  had  metal  plates  made  for  cutting 
them  to  the  required  shape  and  size. — New  York  Tele- 
gram. 

Browning^s  Eieligious  Belief. 

A  correspondent  of  The  Nonconformist  sends  the 
following  letter,  written  by  Browning  in  1876  to  a  lady, 
who,  believing  herself  to  be  dying,  wrote  to  thank  him 
for  the  help  she  had  derived  from  his  poems,  men- 
tioning particularly  "  Rabbi  ben  Ezra  "  and  "  Abt  Vog- 
ler,"  and  giving  expression  to  the  deep  satisfaction  of 
her  mind  that  one  so  highly  gifted  with  genius  should 
hold,  as  Browning  held,  to  the  great  truths  of  our  re- 
ligion, and  to  a  belief  in  the  glorious  unfolding  and 
crowning  of  life  in  the  world  beyond  the  grave : — "  19 
Warwick  Crescent,  W.,  May  11,  1876.  Dear  Friend. — 
It  would  ill  become  me  to  waste  a  word  on  my  own 
feelings  except  inasmuch  as  they  can  be  common  to  us 
both  in  such  a  situation  as  you  describe  yours  to  be — 
and  which,  by  sympathy,  I  can  make  mine  by  the  antici- 
pation of  a  few  years  at  most.  It  is  a  great  thing — the 
greatest — that  a  human  being  should  have  passed  th^ 


266  CURIOUS  PACTS, 

probation  of  life,  and  sum  up  its  experience  In  a  wit- 
ness to  the  power  and  love  of  God.  I  dare  congratulate 
you.  All  the  help  I  can  offer,  in  my  poor  degree,  is 
the  assurance  that  I  see  ever  more  reason  to  hold  by 
the  same  hope — and  that  by  no  means  in  ignorance  of 
what  has  been  advanced  to  the  contrary;  and  for  your 
sake  I  would  wish  it  to  be  true  that  I  had  so  much  of 
'  genius '  as  to  permit  the  testimony  of  an  especially 
privileged  insight  to  come  in  aid  of  the  ordinary  argu- 
ment. For  I  know  I  myself  have  been  aware  of  the 
communication  of  something  more  subtle  than  a  ratioc- 
inative  process,  when  the  convictions  of  *  genius '  have 
thrilled  my  soul  to  its  depths,  as  when  Napoleon,  shut- 
ting up  the  New  Testament,  said  of  Christ — '  Do  you 
know  that  I  am  an  understander  of  men? — Well,  He 
was  no  man!'  (*  Savez-vous  que  je  me  connais  en 
hommes.  Eh  bien,  celui-la  ne  fut  pas  un  homme'). 
Or  as  when  Charles  Lamb,  in  a  gay  fancy  with  some 
friends  as  to  how  he  and  they  would  feel  if  the  greatest 
of  the  dead  were  to  appear  suddenly  in  flesh  and  blood 
once  more — on  the  final  suggestion,  '  And  if  Christ  en- 
tered this  room  I '  changed  his  manner  at  once,  and 
stuttered  out — as  his  manner  was  when  moved,  '  You 
see — if  Shakespeare  entered,  we  should  all  rise;  if  He 
appeared,  we  must  kneel.*  Or,  not  to  multiply  instances 
— as  when  Dante  wrote  what  I  will  transcribe  from  my 
wife's  Testament — wherein  I  recorded  it  fourteen  years 
ago — '  Thus  I  believe,  thus  I  affirm,  thus  I  am  certain  it 
is,  that  from  this  liiFe  I  shall  pass  to  another  better, 
there,  where  that  Lady  lives,  of  whom  my  soul  was 
enamored.'  Dear  Friend,  I  may  have  wearied  you  in 
spite  of  your  good  v/ill.  God  bless  you,  sustain  and 
receive  you !  Reciprocate  this  blessing  with  yours  af- 
fectionately, 

"  Robert  Browning." 

Eules  for  Getting  "Rich, 

The  best  merchant  is  he  whose  business  talent  is  of 
the  highest  order,  and  improved  to  the  highest  pitch. 

Of  all  quarrels,  the  most  senseless,  the  most  bootless, 
the  most  worrying,  is  a  quarrel  with  your  circumstances. 

Every  man  has  three  characters — that  which  he  ex- 


CURIOUS  PACTS         .  267 

hibits,  that  which  he  has,  and  that  which  he  thinks 
he   has. 

Half  of  the  heavy  hearts  and  broken  spirits  and  sleep- 
less eyes  among  our  merchants  might  be  spared  were 
they  only  willing  to  conform  their  appearance  to  their 
substance. 

Many  merchants  object  too  much,  consult  too  long, 
advertise  too  little,  and  seldom  drive  business  home  to 
the  full  period,  but  content  themselves  with  a  medio- 
crity of  success. 

Some  men  seem  to  take  failure  quite  comfortably; 
they  stop  and  go  on  again,  without  changing  their  style 
of  living  or  lowering  their  heads.  That  is  a  feat  that 
no   honest   business   man   can   admire. 

In  business  there  are  many  who  cannot  rise,  many 
who  cannot  help  descending,  many  who  of  necessity 
fail,  many  who  earn  their  bread,  and  many  who  only 
waste  it  when  once  in  their  own  hands. 

Great  merit  or  great  failings  will  make  you  respected 
or  despised,  but  trifles,  little  attentions,  mere  nothings, 
either  done  or  neglected,  will  make  you  either  liked 
or  disliked  in  the  general  run  of  the  world. 

The  true  merchant  is  not  the  man  who  best  under- 
stands his  business  and  contrives  to  bargain  others  out 
of  their  reasonable  profits,  but  he  who  best  understands 
his  business  and  never  takes  advantage  of  any  man's 
ignorance   or  any  man's   necessity. 

"  Leading  articles  "  in  commerce,  like  leading  articles 
in  journalism,  are  meant  to  make  a  character  for  the 
whole.  But  it  is  questionable  whether  a  merchant  is 
justified  in  taking  such  modes  of  attracting  the  at- 
tention of  the  public  unless  he  has  actual  advantages  to 
offer. 

Nature's  Change  Artist. 

A  novel  flower  has  been  found  at  the  isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec.  This  floral  chameleon  has  a  faculty  of 
changing  its  color  during  the  day.  In  the  morning  it 
is  white,  when  the  sun  is  at  its  zenith  it  is  red,  and 
at  night  it  is  blue.  The  red,  white,  and  blue  flower 
grows  on  a  tree  about  the  size  of  a  guava  tree,  and 
only  at  noon  does  it  give  out  any  perfume. 


268  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Strange  Burial  Customs. 

The  Thibetians  cut  in  pieces  the  bodies  of  their  dead 
and  threw  them  into  the  lakes  to  feed  the  fish. 

The  ancient  Bactrians  suffered  the  bodies  of  their  de- 
parted relatives  to  be  eaten  by  dogs  specially  kept  for 
the  purpose. 

The  early  Norseman  used  to  place  the  Viking  in  his 
ship  and  "  send  him  flaming  out  to  sea "  with  all  his 
belongings. 

The  Ethiopians  disposed  of  the  dead  either  by  throw- 
ing them  into  the  river  or  by  preserving  them  in 
their  houses  in  statues  of  gold  or  baked  clay. 

The  Babylonians  embalmed  their  dead  in  honey,  and 
discountenanced  cremation,  which  they  believed  to  be 
nothing  less  than  a  sacrilege  to  the  sun. 

The  Guanches,  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  the 
Canary  Islands,  rudely  embalmed  their  corpses,  drying 
the  bodies  in  the  air  and  covering  them  wiih  varnish. 

The  paliteolithic  cave  dwellers  of  France  and  Belgium 
buried  their  dead  in  natural  grottos  and  crevices  of 
the  rocks  similar  to  those  in  which  they  lived. 

The  Peruvians  appear  to  have  preserved  the  bodies  of 
their  incas  after  the  Egyptian  fashion,  and  in  early 
times  mummies  seem  to  have  had  an  abiding  place  in 
Mexico. 

The  Greeks  of  old  were  enjoined  by  law  to  burn  the 
dead,  and  the  Romans,  who  in  the  time  of  the  republic 
had  interred  their  dead,  adopted  the  Grecian  usage  in 
the  days  of  Sulla. 

The  Parsees  lay  their  dead  on  da  khamas,  or  "  tow- 
ers of  silence,"  where  the  vultures  clean  the  bones, 
which  in  a  month  are  removed  and  deposited  in  deep 
wells  containing  the   dust   of  many  generations. 

On  the  Himalayan  slopes  the  Sikkim  burn  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  and  scatter  the  ashes  to  the  four  winds, 
while  the  tribes  of  Oonalaska  and  Nootka  sound  bury 
them  on  the  hill  tops  and  expect  every  wayfarer  to 
throw  a  stone  on  the  grave. 

Herodotus  tells  us  of  favorite  horses  and  slnves  being 
sacrificed  at  the  holocaust  of  the  dead  chief,  and  ^  in 
many  countries  the  wives  had  the  privilege  of  dying 


CURIOUS  FACTS  269 

with  their  husbands,  a  custom  which  has  continued  in 
the  Hindu  Sutti  down  to  the  present  generation. 

The  Burmese,  before  burying  the  body  of  a  gentle- 
man, enclose  it  in  a  varnished  coilin,  and,  after  divers 
hymns  and  processions,  place  it  on  a  pyre  of  precious 
woods,  which  is  ignited  and  allowed  to  burn  until 
nearly  consumed,  when  the  body  is  taken  from  the 
flames  and  buried. 

The  Cheyenne  Indian  hangs  the  dead  body  of  his 
friend  among  the  foliage  of  his  nadve  forests,  a  prey 
to  the  vulture  and  the  sport  of  every  storm;  or  else, 
swathing  it  with  willow  branches,  places  it  with  the 
feet  southward  in  some  cottonwood  tree  together  with 
a  plentiful  supply  of  food,  arms,  and  tobacco,  to  be 
consumed  on  its  voyage  to  the  happy  hunting  grounds. 

The  Chinese  bury  their  dead  in  the  fairest  spots  in 
the  land.  They  are  extraordinarily  devoted  to  the  dead, 
and  the  labor  contract  of  every  Coolie  emigrant  specially 
stipulates  that  in  case  of  death  his  body  shall  be  car- 
ried back  to  China  that  his  dust  may  mingle  with  that 
of  his  forefathers,  and  join  their  spirits  in  the  flowery 
kingdom.  Otherwise,  he  believes  that  his  soul  will 
wander  amid  strangers  unknown  and  astray. — Once  a 
Week. 

Deaths  of  the  Apostles. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  only  one  of  Christ's 
apostles,  John,  escaped  martyrdom.  Matthew  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  slain  with  a  sword  in  Ethiopia. 
James,  son  of  Zebedee,  was  beheaded  at  Jerusalem. 
James,  the  brother  of  our  Lord,  was  thrown  from  a 
pinnacle  of  the  Temple  and  then  beaten  to  death  with 
a  fuller's  club.  Philip  was  hanged  up  against  a  pillar 
of  Hieropolis,  a  city  of  Phrygia.  Bartholomew  was 
flayed  alive  at  Albanapolis,  in  Armenia.  Andrew  suf- 
fered martyrdom  on  a  cross  at  Patrse,  in  Achaia. 
Thomas  was  run  through  the  body  with  a  lance  at 
Coromandel,  in  the  East  Indies.  Thaddeus  was  shot 
to  death  with  arrows.  Simon  Zelotes  was  crucified 
in  Persia.  Peter  was  crucified,  head  downward  it  is 
said,  during  the  Neronian  persecution.     Matthias  was 


270 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


fir^t  stoned  and  then  beheaded,  and  Paul  was  beheaded 
at  Rome  by  the  tyrant  Nero.  Judas  Iscariot,  after  the 
betrayal  of  our   Lord,  hanged  himself. 

The  Sahara^s  March. 

Sand  dunes  from  the  Sahara  desert  have  been  seri- 
ously encroaching  upon  the  oases  in  the  southern  part 
of  Tunis,  and  awhile  ago  the  French  government  sent 
E.  Blanc  to  see  what  could  be  done  to  prevent  the 
desert  from  further  advances  upon  the  oases.  .  He  re- 
ported that,  in  his  opinion,  the  whole  southern  part  of 
Tunis  is  in  process  of  gradual  desiccation.  The  desert 
is  slowly  extending  its  boundaries  to  the  north.  Far 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  desert  Mr.  Blanc  found 
numerous  ruins  of  buildings  erected  during  the  Ro- 
man occupancy,  showing  that,  at  the  dawn  of  the  Chris- 
tian era,  fertility  reigned  where  now  the  sterility  of  the 
desert  exists. 

As  yet  Mr.  Blanc  is  unable  to  suggest  any  practical 
measures  for  saving  the  oases  from  gradual  extinction. 
His  orders  were  to  see  if  steps  could  be  taken  with 
advantage,  similar  to  those  employed  in  France  to 
prevent  the  sand  dunes  along  the  Gulf  of  Gascogne 
from  encroaching  upon  the  cultivable  lands.  His  an- 
swer is  in  the  negative.  The  great  difficulty  is  the  lack 
of  water,  and  he  doubts  if  a  sufficient  quantity  can  be 
secured  by  means  of  artesian  wells. 

A  Few  English  Names. 

Cowper   is   pronounced   Cooper. 
Talbot  is  pronounced  Tolbut. 
Thames  is  pronounced  Tems. 
Bulwer  is  pronounced  BuUer. 
Holburn  is  pronounced  Hobun. 
Wemyss  is  pronounced  Weems. 
Knolloys  is  pronounced  Knowles. 
Cockburn  is  pronounced   Cobum. 
Brougham  is  pronounced  Broom. 
Norwich  is  pronounced  Norridge. 
St.  Leger  is  pronounced  Sillinger. 
Hawarden  is  pronounced  Harden. 
Colquhoun  is  pronounced  Cohoon. 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  271 

Cirencester  is  pronounced   Sissister. 
Grosvenor   is   pronounced   Grovenor. 
Salisbury  is  pronounced   Sawlsbury. 
Beauchamp   is  pronounced  Beecham. 
Cholmondely  is  pronounced  Chumly. 
Marylebone  is  pronounced  Marrabun. 
Abergavenny  is  pronounced  Abergenny. 
Marjoribanks    is   pronounced    Marchbanks, 
Bolingbroke  is  pronounced  Bullingbrook. 

Improvised  Cards. 

That  is  a  pretty  anecdote  of  Appeles,  who,  visiting 
Protogenes  at  Rome,  and  finding  him  ''  not  at  home/' 
left,  instead  of  a  visiting  card,  a  tiny  sketch  dashed  off 
on  canvas.  In  like  manner,  Frank  Flores,  the  Dutch 
painter,  having  journeyed  to  Ley  den  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  painter  Aartgen,  who  chanced  to  be 
absent,  seized  a  lump  of  charcoal  and  drew  on  the  wall 
a  figure  of  St.  Luke.  On  his  return,  Aartgen  declared 
that  no  one  but  Flores  could  have  been  the  author  of 
such  a  design,  and  immediately  started  for  Antwerp 
to  repay  the  visit.  A  similar  incident  crops  up  in  the 
lives  of  other  artists,  while  poets  have  jotted  down 
stanzas  in  "  The  Visitor's  Book." — All  The  Year  Round. 

Odds  and  Ends. 

'From  ten  to  twelve  ounces  a  day  is  the  quantity  of 
meat  required  for  a  healthy  adult  who  takes  an  ordinary 
amount  of  work  and  exercise. 

On  account  of  the  height  and  sheer  descent  of  the 
surrounding  mountains  the  sun  does  not  rise  on  Mirror 
Lake,  Yosemite  Valley,  until  11:30  in  the  morning. 

White  mahogany  is  exceedingly  rare,  but  sparingly 
introduced  as  borders  for  tables  and  delicate  frame- 
work of  upholstered  suits.  It  has  a  soft  enamel-like 
gloss,  and  is  very  costly. 

It  is  estimated  that  getting  born  cost»  $225,000,000 
annually;  getting  married,  $300,000,000;  getting  buried, 
$75,000,000. 

A  lady's  maid,  seeing  her  mistress  struggling  with 
a  stamp  that  would  not  stick,  took  the  stamp,  rubbed 
it  on  the  mucilage  on  the  flap  of  the  envelope  and  put 


2^2  CURIOUS  FACTS. 

it  in  its  place.  It  was  an  ingenious  way  out  of  a  com- 
mon difficulty  v/ell  worth  remembering. 

Here  is  a  unique  specimen  of  a  medical  certificate  of 
death.  It  was  tendered  by  a  native  apothecary  at  a  re- 
cent inquest  in  India :  *'  I  think  she  died  or  lost  her  hfe 
for  want  of  food  or  on  account  of  starvation,  and  per- 
haps for  other  things  of  her  comfortables,  and  most 
probably  she  died  by  drowning." 

When  a  Gorean  marries  he  is  careful  to  present  his 
wife  with  a  wild  goose,  even  if  he  is  obhged  to  hire  the 
bird  specially  for  the  occasion;  for,  once  upon  a  time,  a 
wild  goose  whose  mate  was  killed  returned  year  after 
year  to  the  same  spot  to  mourn  her  loss,  and  the  Corean 
bridegroom  wishes  his  bride  to  understand  the  virtue 
of  constancy. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  Eng- 
land, more  than  200  offences  were  punishable  with 
death;  now,  aside  from  naval  and  military  laws,  there 
are  only  four  crimes  with  the  death  penalty — setting 
fire  to  Government  dockyards  or  arsenals,  treason,  mur- 
der, and  piracy  with  violence. 

Bulls  of  a  German  Professor. 

The  prize  medal  for  absent-mindedness  during  lec- 
tures must  be  awarded  to  a  German  professor  named 
Johannes  Amer,  who  recently  died  in  Vienna.  One  of 
his  pupils  had  a  list  of  his  remarkable  sayings,  among 
them  the  following:  *' Julius  Caesar,  disguised  as  a 
slave,  swam  naked  across  the  Tiber."  "  Alexander  the 
Great  was  born  in  the  absence  of  his  parents."  "  The 
Swiss  are  a  mountainous  nation,  but  in  Scotland  the 
climate  does  not  begin  till  October."  *'  Hogs  were  in- 
vented in  Asia  Minor."  **  Thus  arose  a  general  war  on 
page  94."  ''  The  third  Punic  war  would  have  been  out 
much  sooner  had  it  commenced  a  little  earlier."  ''  Cov- 
ered with  countless  wounds  Caesar  fell  dead  near  the 
statue  of  Pompey;  with  one  hand  he  drew  his  toga 
over  his  face  while  with  the  other  he  called  for  help." 

The  Victoria  Regia  Lily. 

It  is  just  sixty- three  years  ago  that  Schomburgh,  the 
botanist;  was  making  his  way  up  the  river  Berbice,  in 


CURIOUS  FACTS  273 

British  Guiana,  when,  at  a  turn  in  the  stream,  he  found 
himself  in  view  of  an  extensive  backwater.  At  the 
further  end  were  seen  some  objects  lying  upon  the 
water,  of  which  in  the  distance  the  exact  nature  could 
not  be  distinguished,  but  which,  to  the  botanist's  eye, 
seemed  vegetable.  Animating  his  boatmen  to  their  ut- 
most exertion,  and  seizing  an  oar  himself,  the  boat  was 
soon  flying  over  the  calm  lagoon,  and  on  a  sudden, 
looking  up,  the  traveler  found  himself  in  the  presence 
of  that  miracle  of  vegetation,  the  Victoria  Regia  Lily. 
All  round  him  lay  on  the  water  great  leaves  six  feet 
wide  and  as  many  long,  green,  salver  shaped,  with  a 
rim  some  five  inches  deep  turning  up  all  round  and 
showing  the  vivid  crimson  of  the  under  side.  Among 
these  glorious  leave's  floated  the  lilies,  fifteen  inches 
in  diameter,  and  emitting  from  their  hundred-petalled 
blossoms,  waxen  white  or  tinged  with  pink,  a  faint 
sweet  scent. 

Curious  Weather  Happenings. 

In  1568  the  Antiura  reapers  found  all  wheat  heads  to 
be  as  red  as  blood. 

Wurtemberg,  Germany,  had  a  shower  of  brimstone 
and  ashes  in  1634. 

In  1588  bread  put  in  the  oven  at  Nuremberg,  Ger- 
many, was  taken  out  covered  with  a  bloody  sweat. 

A  monk,  writing  in  125 1,  tells  of  a  loaf  being  cut 
out  of  which  blood  flowed  as  freely  as  from  a  fresh 
wound. 

In  1361  Burgundy  experienced  the  novelty  of  a  shower 
of  blood  red  rain,  which  ensanguined  everything  it 
touched. 

Many  of  the  old  writers  record  a  three  day  shower 
of  blood  red  rain  in  the  island  of  Rhodes  and  through- 
out southern  Italy  in  1236. 

In  1226  a  snow  fell  in  Syria  which  presently  melted 
and  flowed  in  carmine  rivers  of  blood,  or  some  fluid 
much  resembling  it  in  every  particular. 

At  Rome,  in  1222,  it  rained  dust,  mixed  with  blood, 
for  three  days,  and  when  the  heavy  clouds  drifted  away 
it  looked  as  if  the  sun  was  sw^imming  in  a  sea  of  fire. 

In  1348  some  chasms  in  the  earth  sent  forth  poison- 


^74  CURIOUS  FACTS, 

ous  fluids,  as  red  as  carmine  ink,  at  Villach,  in  Austria, 
Ponderous  hailstones  fell  in  Germany  the  same  year, 
some  of  them  weighing  from  twenty  to  seventy  pounds. 

In  1695  Limerick  and  Tipperary,  Ireland,  had  many 
showers  of  a  soft,  fatty  substance  resembling  butter. 
It  was  of  a  dark,  yellow  color,  and  always  fell  at  night. 
The  people  gathered  it  and  used  it  as  an  ointment,  re- 
porting many  astonishing  cures. 

An  igneous  vapor  or  sulphurous  fire  broke  from  the 
earth  at  Cannery,  Asia,  in  1348,  and  utterly  consumed 
men,  beasts,  houses  and  trees,  so  infecting  the  air  that 
a  great  plague  followed.  Young  serpents  and  millions 
of  venomous  insects  fell  from  the  clouds. 


A  Gigantic  Skeleton. 

The  following  paragraph  from  the  Dublin  Freeman's 
Journal  of  August,  1812,  seems  to  show  that  men  of 
gigantic  stature  were  not  unknown  in  Ireland  in  pre- 
historic times.  *'  It  is  not  a  little  surprising,  consider- 
ing our  veneration  for  Irish  antiquities,  that  no  notice 
should  be  taken  of  the  skeleton  recently  disinterred  at 
Leixlip.  This  extraordinary  monument  of  gigantic  hu- 
man stature  was  found  by  two  laborers  in  Leixlip 
churchyard  on  Friday,  the  loth  ult.,  when  making  a 
kind  of  sewer,  near  the  Salmon  leap,  for  conveying 
water,  by  Mr.  Haigh's  orders.  It  appears  to  have  be- 
longed to  a  man  of  not  less  than  ten  feet  in  height.  It 
is  believed  to  be  the  same  mentioned  by  Keating — 
Phelim  O'Tool,  buried  in  Leixlip  churchyard,  near  the 
Salmon  leap,  1,252  years  ago.  In  the  same  place  was 
found  to  be  a  large  finger  ring  of  pure  gold.  There 
was  no  inscription  or  characters  of  any  kind  upon  it, 
a  circumstance  to  be  lamented,  as  it  might  throw  a 
clear  light  upon  this  interesting  subject.  Our  corre- 
spondent saw  one  of  the  teeth,  which  was  as  large  as 
an  ordinary  forefinger." 

Valuation  of  Silver  and  Gold. 

In  1600  gold  was  worth  ten  times  as  much  as  its 
paler  brother. 


CURIOUS  FACTS.  ^7$ 

In  1725  gold  was  thirteen  times  more  valuable  than 
silver,  just  as  it  was  500  b.  c. 

In  the  year  500  a.  d.  silver  was  18  to  i;  in  iioo  it 
was  8  to  I,  and  in  1400  it  was  11  to  i. 

In  1876  the  ratio  of  silver  to  gold  was  20  to  i,  and 
in  1866  it  was  at  the  highest  ever  known,  since  which 
time  it  has  gradually  declined. 

At  the  begmning  of  the  present  century  gold  had  risen 
in  value  to  a  higher  point  than  at  any  time  since  500 
A.  D.,  being  fifteen  times  more  valuable  than  silver. 

In  the  days  of  the  patriarch  Abraham  silver  was  8 
to  I ;  B.  c.  1000  it  was  12  to  i ;  b.  c.  500  it  was  13  to  i, 
and  at  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era  it  was 
9  to  I. 

In  1454  gold  was  only  six  times  more  valuable  than 
the  precious  white  metal,  silver,  and  within  the  next 
hundred  years  two  pounds  of  silver  could  be  exchanged 
evenly  for  one  of  gold. 

The   Human    Family. 

The  human  family  living  on  earth  to-day  amounts 
to  about  1,450,000,000  souls,  not  less,  but  probably  more. 
They  are  distributed  all  over  the  earth's  surface,  there 
being  no  considerable  spot  where  man  has  not  found  a 
foothold.  In  Asia,  the  supposed  cradle  of  the  human 
race,  there  are  now  about  800,000,000  of  people,  densely 
crowded,  on  an  average  of  120  to  every  square  mile. 
In  Europe  there  are  320,000,000,  averaging  100  to  each 
square  mile,  and  not  so  crowded,  but  everywhere  dense 
and  in  many  places  over-populated.  In  Africa  there  are 
approximately,  2.10,000,000,  and  in  the  Americas,  North, 
Central,  and  South,  110,000,000,  and,  of  course,  relatively 
thinly  scattered.  In  the  islands,  large  and  small,  there 
are  probably  10,000,000.  The  extremes  of  the  whites 
and  blacks  are  as  five  to  three;  the  remaining  700,- 
000,000  intermediate  brown  and  tawny  color.  Of  the 
entire  race  500,000,000  are  well  clothed — that  is,  they 
wear  garments  of  some  kind  to  cover  nakedness;  250,- 
000,000  habitually  go  naked,  and  700.000,000  only  cover 
the  middle  parts  of  the  body ;  500,000,000  live  in  houses, 
700,000.000  in  huts  and  caves,  and  250,000,000  virtually 
have  no  place  to  lay  their  heads.— ^/.  Louis  Republic, 


;276  CURIOUS  Facts 

A  First  Principle  of  Bridge  Building. 

If  one  piank  would  hold  up  loo  pounds  on  the  centre, 
then  the  two  planks  placed  side  by  side  would  hold  up 
200  pounds,  while,  placing  the  planks  one  on  top  of  the 
other,  and  nailing  tiieni  firmly  together,  they  would 
hold  up  400  pounds.  In  this  way  we  see  that,  in  order 
to  increase  the  strength  of  the  bridge  or  beam  faster 
than  we  increase  the  amount  of  material,  the  increased 
amount  of  material  should  go  into  the  depth  of  the  beam 
and  not  into  the  width  of  it.  This  is  one  of  the  first 
principles  in  the  resistance  of  material,  that  the 
SLrengili  of  a  beam  varies  directly  as  the  width — that 
is,  if  we  make  the  beam  twice  as  wide,  it  will  hold 
twice  as  much;  and  that  the  strength  varies  as  the 
square  of  the  depth — that  is,  if  v/e  make  it  twice  as 
deep,  it  will  hold  up  four  times  as  much.  If  we  make 
it  three  times  as  deep,  it  will  hold  up  nine  times  as 
much  of  a  load.  So  that  you  can  readily  understand 
that,  in  order  to  increase  the  strength  of  the  bridge  or 
beam  without  increasing  the  material  in  the  same  pro- 
portion, the  increased  amount  of  material  should  be  put 
into  the  depth  and  not  into  the  width. — Professor  C. 
D.  Jameson. 

Some  Facts  Worthy  of  Note. 

That  the  word  "  villain  "  at  first  meant  simply  a  vil- 
lager. 

i  hat  the  word  "  rivals  "  once  meant  neighbors  who 
lived  on  the  banks  of  a  river. 

That  the  word  "  simpleton "  was  originally  applied 
to  persons  of  honest  candor — straightforward  and  sim- 
ple, as  opposed  to  duplicity  of  character. 

That  the  word  "  brat,"  which  is  now  a  low  word  of 
contempt,  was  once  used  in  sacred  verse — ''  Oh,  Abra- 
ham's br^ts;  oh,  broode  of  blessed  seede !  " 

That  the  word  "  knave  "  in  its  origin  signified  a  young 
man,  and  on  the  German  court  cards  is  merely  the  page 
or  knight  attending  the  king  or  queen. 

That  the  words  "  pagan  "  and  "  heathen  "  come  from 
words  signifying  a  countryman,  because  it  was  in  the 
rural  districts  that  the  worship  of  the  ancient  deities 
was  longest  continued. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  277 

That  the  word  ''  idiot "  originally  meant  only  a  pri- 
vate person,  or  one  who  was  not  engaged  in  public 
business;  then  it  came  to  be  applied  to  an  outsider, 
one  who  was  ill-formed  on  and  indifferent  to  state 
affairs;  and,  lastly,  to  the  most  hopeless  of  all  the 
mentally  afflicted. 

Rules  for  Old  Age. 

Dr.  Richardson's  *'  Rules  for  Old  Age "  are  as  fol- 
lows : — When  old  age  has  really  commenced,  its  march 
toward  final  decay  is  best  delayed  by  attention  to  those 
rules  of  conservation  by  which  life  is  sustained  with 
the  least  friction  and  the  least  waste.  The  prime  rules 
for  this  purpose  are : — To  subsist  on  light  but  nutritious 
diet,  with  milk  as  the  standard  food,  but  varied  accord- 
ing to  season.  To  take  food,  in  moderate  quantity,  four 
times  in  the  day,  including  a  light  meal  before  going 
to  bed.  To  clothe  warmly  but  lightly,  so  that  the  body 
may,  in  all  seasons,  maintain  its  equal  temperature.  To 
keep  the  body  in  fair  exercise,  and  the  mind  active 
and  cheerful.  To  maintain  an  interest  in  what  is  going 
on  in  the  world,  and  to  take  part  in  reasonable  labors 
and  pleasures,  as  though  old  age  was  not  present.  To 
take  plenty  of  sleep  during  sleeping  hours.  To  spend 
nine  hours  in  bed  at  least,  and  to  take  care  during 
cold  weather  that  the  temperature  of  the  bedroom  is 
rnaintained  at  60  degs.  Fahr.  To  avoid  passion,  ex- 
citement, and  luxury. 

An  Ancient  Man  of  Strength. 

The  first  theatre  manager  of  Berlin,  Johann  Karl  von 
Eckenberg,  was  the  so-called  "  man  of  strength,"  who 
showed  himself  nearly  200  years  ago,  first  as  juggler, 
then  as  athlete.  Of  his  life  little  is  known  except  as 
in  his  career  as  theatre  manager,  as  he  was  the  founder 
of  the  first  Berlin  theatre.  He  was  extensively  written 
of,  and  an  article  under  the  title  of  '*  An  Athlete  of 
the  Eighteenth  Century,"  published  some  years  ago  and 
recently  unearthed,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  his 
prowess,  as  follows: — 

By  an  athlete  of  the  eighteenth  century  we  do  not 


2yfi  CURIOUS  FACTS. 

mean  the  Prince  Frederick  August  of  Saxony,  king 
of  Poland,  commonly  called  August  the  Strong,  who 
could  knock  off  the  head  of  an  ox  with  one  stroke  of 
his  sword,  and  besides  distinguished  himself  in  all  kinds 
of  respectable  performances  of  strength,  but  another 
Hercules  who  would  have  wrapped  the  strong  August 
around  his  little  finger,  if  such  a  thing  would  have  been 
permitted.  This  man  was  the  athlete  Johann  Karl  von 
Eckenberg,  who  in  the  twenties  and  thirties  of  the  last 
century  showed  his  productions  of  strength  in  public. 
He  was  the  most  stately  of  all  gymnasts,  and  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Harzgerode,  and  out  of  respect  to  his 
native  town  he  called  himself  for  a  time,  on  his  bill 
posters,   Sampson  Hercules  Harzmann. 

It  borders  on  the  fabulous  what  his  contemporaries 
related  of  his  remarkable  exhibitions  of  strength.  He 
broke  an  anchor  rope  as  if  it  were  ordinary  thread, 
iron  nails  and  bolts  he  turned  playfully  betv/een  his 
fingers  into  screws,  a  cannon  pipe  he  carried  around 
as  if  it  were  a  baby.  His  teeth  were  as  strong  as  iron. 
He  bit  into  a  piece  of  oak  wood;  then  a  strong  cart 
horse  was  harnessed  up  to  it.  In  spite  of  the  horse 
being  urged  on  it  was  unable  to  pull  the  stick  out  of 
the  juggler's  mouth  or  to  pull  the  athlete  from  the 
place  where  he  stood.  A  bench  made  of  wood,  six- 
teen feet  long,  he  grasped  with  his  teeth  by  one  end 
and  carried  it  around,  while  a  trumpeter  blowing  his 
instrument  sat  on  the  other  end. 

His  arm  was  more  powerful  than  his  teeth.  He 
spread  out  his  hands,  on  each  one  was  placed  a  bottle 
of  wine,  then  a  rope  was  attached  to  each  wrist  and 
to  each  rope  there  were  three  men  from  the  audience 
who  pulled  with  all  their  might,  so  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  this  Hercules  to  convey  the  wine  to 
his  mouth.  All  their  zeal  was  without  avail,  as  the 
arms  of  the  gymnast  bent  themselves  irresistibly  and 
brought  the  jug  to  his  mouth  without  spilling  a  drop 
of  wine. 

He  generally  saved  his  grandest  performance  of 
strength  until  the  close  of  the  exhibition.  He  ascended 
a  scaffold  of  beams  under  which  was  a  platform  of 
thick  planks  fastened  on  strong  chains.     A  trumpeter 


CURIOUS  FACTS  279 

mounted  on  a  horse,  clad  as  a  herald,  rode  upon  the 
platform  and  played  his  tune.  The  Hercules  then  took 
a  place  on  the  point  of  the  scaffolding,  held  a  glass 
of  wine  in  one  hand  and  with  the  other,  by  means  of 
the  chains,  lifted  the  heavy  platform,  the  horse,  and  the 
trumpeter  high  up  from  the  floor,  and  for  a  little  while 
held  the  whole  weight,  the  trumpeter  shrilly  blowing  a 
tune,  while  the  athlete  drank  the  glass  of  wine,  at  the 
same  time  giving  a  toast  to  the  magistrate  and  the  citi- 
zens of  the  city  in  which  he  happened  to  be  staying. 
When  Herr  von  Eckenberg  became  older,  his  power 
gradually  left  him;  therefore  he  gave  up  the  herculean 
business  and  became  chief  theatre  manager  of  Berlin, 
where  he  for  some  time  possessed  two  show  booths, 
which,  however,  did  not  bring  him  as  large  an  income 
as  did  his  exhibition  of  strength.  But  when  he  had 
this  large  income  he  did  not  know  how  to  save.  He 
had  a  competitor,  Peter  Hilferdinn^,  who  had  a  show 
booth  with  privileges  and  at  the  same  time  was  a  prac- 
tical joker  and  clown  under  the  name  of  Pantalon  de 
Bisognosi.  Provoking  quarrels  with  this  man  em- 
bittered the  life  of  the  "  man  of  strength.'^  His 
numerous  creditors  seized  both  his  booths  with  all  be- 
longings, completely  impoverishing  the  celebrated 
Hercules,  who  died  in  the  year  1754. — From  the  Ger- 
man. 

Fire  Made  by  Friction. 

The  friction  methods  in  use  in  different  parts  of  the 
world  are  various.  One  of  the  simplest  is  with  the 
stick  and  groove — a  blunt  pointed  stick  being  run  along 
a  groove  of  its  own  making  in  a  piece  of  wood  lying 
on  the  ground.  In  Tahiti  Mr.  Darwin  saw  a  native 
produce  fire  in  a  few  seconds,  but  only  succeeded  him- 
self after  much  labor.  This  device  is  employed  in  New 
Zealand,  the  Sandwich  Islands,  Tonga,  Samoa,  and  the 
Radack  Islands.  Instead  of  rubbing  the  movable  stick 
backward  and  forward,  other  tribes  make  it  rotate 
rapidly  in  a  round  hole  in  the  stationary  piece  of  wood 
in  the  manner  referred  to,  thus  making,  as  happily 
designated,  a  fire  drill.  This  device  has  been  observed 
in  Australia,  Kamschatka,  Sumatra  and  the  Carolines, 
among  the  Yeddahs  of  Ceylon,  throughout  a  great  part 


28o  Curious  pacts 

of  South  Africa,  among  the  Esquimaux  and  Indian 
tribes  of  North  America,  in  the  West  Indies,  in  Cen- 
tral America,  and  as  far  south  as  the  Straits  of  Magel- 
lan. It  was  also  employed  by  the  ancient  Mexicans,  and 
Mr.  Taylor  gives  a  quaint  picture  of  the  operation  from 
Mexican  MS.,  in  which  a  man,  half  kneeling  on  the 
ground,  is  causing  the  stick  to  rotate  between  the  palms 
of  his  own  hands.  This  simple  method  of  rotation  seems 
to  be  generally  in  use,  but  various  devices  have  been 
resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  diminishing  the  labor 
and  hastening  the  result. 

The  Guacho  of  the  Pampas  takes  ''  an  elastic  stick 
about  eighteen  inches  long,  presses  one  end  to  his 
breast  and  the  other  in  the  hole  in  a  piece  of  wood, 
and  then  rapidly  turns  the  curved  part  like  a  car- 
penter's centre  bit."  In  other  cases  the  rotation  is 
affected  by  means  of  a  cord  or  thong  wound  round 
the  drill  and  pulled  alternately  by  this  end  and  that. 

A  further  advance  was  made  by  some  North  American 
Indians,  who  appear  to  have  applied  the  principle  of 
the  bow  drill,  and  the  still  more  ingenious  pump  drill 
was  used  by  the  Iroquois  Indians.  For  a  full  descrip- 
tion of  these  instruments  we  must  refer  the  reader  to 
Mr.  Taylor's  valuable  chapter  in  his  "  Researches." 
These  methods  of  producing  fire  are  but  rarely  used  in 
Europe,  and  only  in  connection  with  superstitious  ob- 
servances. 

A   Peculiar   Duel. 

A  very  peculiar  preliminary  to  a  death  .sentence  that 
deserves^  to  be  put  on  record  was  that '  in  vogue  in 
Franconia  in  the  fifteenth  century — that  is,  in  the  days 
of  the  ordeal,  in  which  heaven  itself  was  supposed  to 
take  a  hand  in  the  distribution  of  justice.  In  case  a 
woman  had  been  made  to  suffer  in  reputation  by  a 
man,  she  was  at  liberty  to  challenge  him  to  combat, 
which  took  place  in  the  following  way : 

A  regular  ring  was  formed  for  spectators,  and  chairs 
were  placed  for  the  judges.  In  the  middle  of  the  ring 
was  a  hole  about  three  feet  deep,  in  which  the  man, 
armed  only  with  a  club,  had  to  defend  himself  against 
the  woman,  who  was  armed  with  a  stone  weighing  a 
pound  tied  up   in  a  handkerchief  and  attached   to  a 


CURIOUS  FACTS  281 

slender  willowy  stick.  The  lady  had  a  space  measuring 
ten  feet  in  diameter  in  which  to  evolute  and  to  attack. 

The  rules  were  as  follows : 

If  the  man  in  attempting  to  strike  the  woman  touched 
the  ground  with  arm  or  hand  he  made  one  error.  If 
he  made  three  such,  or  if  the  woman  succeeded  in 
disarming  him,  he  was  declared  ^  defeated,  and  was 
then  delivered  over  to  the  executioner  to  be  put  to 
death,  which  was  by  being  buried  in  the  same  hole  in 
which  he  had  vainly  attempted  to  defend  himself.  But 
if  the  man  succeeded  in  thwarting  the  attacks  of  the 
woman  or  in  disarming  her,  he  was  declared  the  victor, 
and  the  woman  herself  was  then  the  victim,  and  was 
sentenced  to  death  and  buried  alive. — New  York  World. 

Nutmegs. 

The  nutmeg  is  the  innermost  kernel  of  the  fruit  of 
a  small  tree  that  grows  about  thirty  feet  high.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  East  Indies,  but  it  is  cultivated  in  other 
tropical  lands.  It  has  a  small  yellow  flower.  The 
fruit  is  small  and  peach-like,^  but  with  a  smooth  sur- 
face, and  turns  yellow  when  ripe.  The  exterior,  a  thick 
fleshy  husk,  dries  up  and  cracks,  disclosing  the  nut. 
The  outer  covering  of  this  nut  is  what  we  know  as 
mace.  It  is  red  at  first,  but  turns  to  a  light  brown 
when  dried.  Next  comes  a  hard  shining  shell,  and  in- 
side that  is  the  nutmeg.  The  tree  bears  about  the  eighth 
or  ninth  year  from  the  seed.  The  mace  is  taken  off 
and  dried  in  the  sun  for  one  day,  and  for  eight  days  in 
the  shade,  then  dampened  with  sea  water  and  pressed 
in  bags.  The  remainder  of  the  nut  is  very  thoroughly 
dried,  when  the  shell  is  broken  and  the  nutmegs  are 
assorted,  the  best  ones  being  exported.  They  are  first 
pickled  in  lime  water,  then  left  to  sweat,  and  finally 
packed  for  shipment.  The  Penang  nutmegs,  the  best, 
are  about  an  inch  long,  pale  brown,  corrugated  on  the 
surface,  with  red  streaks  in  the  gray  interior. — Good 
Housekeeping, 

Wonderful  Human  Mechanism. 

Science,  says  Sir  James  Paget,  will  supply  the  natural 
man  with  wonders  uncounted.     The  author  had  once 


282  CURIOUS  FACTS 

heard  Mile.  Janotha  play  a  presto  by  Mendelssohn.  She 
played  5,595  notes  in  four  minutes  and  three  seconds. 
Every  one  of  these  notes  involved  certain  movements 
of  a  finger,  at  least  two,  and  many  of  them  involved 
an  additional  movement  laterally  as  well  as  those  up 
and  down.  They  also  involved  repeated  movements  of 
the  wrists,  elbows,  and  arms,  altogether  probably  not 
less  than  one  movement  for  each  note. 

Therefore,  there  were  three  distinct  movements  for 
each  note,  as  there  were  twenty-four  notes  per  second, 
and  each  of  these  notes  involved  three  distinct  musical 
movements  that  amounted  to  seventy-two  movements 
in  each  second.  Moreover,  each  of  those  notes  was  de- 
termined by  the  will  to  a  chosen  place,  with  a  certain 
force  at  a  certain  time,  and  with  a  certain  duration. 
Therefore  there  were  four  distinct  qualities  in  each  of 
the  seventy-two  movements  in  each  second.  Such  were 
the  transmissions  outward.  And  all  those  were  condi- 
tional on  consciousness  of  the  position  of  each  hand 
and  each  finger  before  it  was  moved,  and  by  moving 
it  of  the  sound  and  the  force  of  each  touch.  Therefore, 
there  were  three  conscious   sensations   for  every  note. 

There  were  seventy-two  transmissions  per  second, 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  to  and  fro,  and  those  with 
constant  change  of  quality.  And  then,  added  to  that, 
all  the  time  the  memory  was  remembering  each  note  in 
its  due  time  and  place,  and  was  exercised  in  the  com- 
parison of  it  with  others  that  came  before.  So  that 
it  would  be  fair  to  say  that  there  were  not  less  than 
two  hundred  transmissions  of  nerve  force  to  and  from 
the  brain  outward  and  inward  every  second,  and  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  that  time  judgment  was  being  exercised 
as  to  whether  the  music  was  being  played  better  or 
worse  than  before,  and  the  mind  was  conscious  of  some 
of  the  motions  which  the  music  was  intended  to  inspire. 
— Popular  Science  Monthly. 

Cariosities  of  Suicide. 

Suicide  is  most   frequent  in  large  cities. 

The  Stoics  lauded  suicide  as  a  praiseworthy  action, 
and  the  Roman  law  did  not  IcMDk  upon  it  as  a  veniaJ 
crimCc 


CURIOUS  FACTS  383 

The  tendency  to  suicide  is  more  prevalent  among  the 
educated  and  wealthy  than  among  the  poorer  and  middle 
classes. 

Physicians  prefer  poisons  or  drugs,  religious  mono- 
maniacs crucifixion,  and  the  sexes  differ  somewhat  in 
their  choice. 

Women  are  said  in  England  to  seek  death  according 
to  the  following  order:  Hanging,  abstinence,  precipita- 
tion, drowning,  cutting,  poison. 

Superstitions  of  the  Sea. 

Mariners  do  not  like  to  have  a  corpse  on  board. 

It  is  unlucky  to  point  with  the  finger  at  a  ship  when 
at   sea. 

The  nails  and  hair  must  not  be  cut  at  sea  except 
during  a  storm. 

Rats  are  supposed  to  leave  a  vessel  only  when  it  is 
going  to  sink. 

It  is  unlucky  to  sneeze  on  the  left  side  at  the  moment 
of  embarking. 

A  knife  stuck  in  the  mast,  the  killing  of  a  pig,  or 
whistling  is  each  believed  to  bring  wind. 

The  stormy  petrel  is  supposed  to  herald  bad  weather, 
and  the  great  auk  to  tell  when  land  is  near. 

The  cat  is  generally  disliked  by  sailors,  but  a  cat 
will  not  be  thrown  overboard,  as  this  would  bring  on 
a  storm. 

Cornwall,  England,  sailors  will  not  walk  at  night 
along  portions  of  the  shore  where  there  have  been 
wrecks,  as  they  believe  that  the  souls  of  the  drowned 
inhabit  those  localities. 

'<  Bulls." 

The  following  fine  specimens  may  be  entered  in  com- 
petition for  a  prize,  English  against  Irish  "  bulls."  The 
first  is  from  The  Morning  Chronicle,  June  19,  1884: 
"  To  invesigate  the  question,  however,  would  lead  us 
too  deeply  into  the  dry  and  troubled  waters  of  moral 
philosophy."  I  do  not  remember  in  what  paper  the  fol- 
lowing appeared,  but  the  date  was  Jan.  7,  1839,  when 
there  had  been  a  tremendous  hurricane :  "  Several  chim- 
neys fell,  burying  the  inmatei  in  the  ruins,"    "A  row 


284  CURIOUS  FACTS 

of  cottages  fell,  but  fortunately  the  inmates  were  all 
out." 

These  two  came  out  in  one  of  the  Sheffield  papers: 
**  At  first  sight,  the  electioneering  aadrtsses  sound 
thoroughly  pioiectionist."  "  ihe  nouse  i^i.  e.,  the  at- 
tendance at  the  theatre)  was  not  so  good  as  we  had 
hoped  to  have  seen  it,  but  there  were  more  persons 
present  than  we  expected  to  have  seen" — (v/hich  is 
rather  like  Joe  Miller's  pig  jobber,  who,  being  asked 
what  sort  of  market  he  had  made,  replied :  ''  Not  so 
good  as  I  expected,  and  I  thought  I  shomdn't").  A 
third  is  from  a  leading  article  in  the  same  paper  on 
the  Czar  of  Russia :  '*  At  any  rate,  if  the  Czar  did  show 
any  heat,  it  is  probable  that  he  would  go  to  sleep  upon 
it."  I  once  heard  an  American  revivalist,  in  his  loud- 
est tones,  rave  and  roar  about  the  "  icebergs  of  dam- 
nation."— The  Spectator. 

The  Cologne  Cathedral. 

This  superb  edifice  holds  the  first  rank  among  Ger- 
man cathedrals,  and  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
buildings  in  the  world.  It  was,  according  to  the  com- 
mon belief,  begun  in  1248,  and  progressed  slowly  till 
the  sixteenth  century,  when  work  upon  it  was  for  a 
time  abandoned.  It  fell  more  and  more  into  decay  until 
Frederick  William  IV.  began  its  restoration.  It  was 
consecrated  600  years  after  its  foundation.  Work  upon 
this  edifice  has  been  vigorously  prosecuted  within  the 
last  few  years,  and  it  is  now  completed.  Externally,  its 
double  range  of  stupendous  flying  buttresses,  and  inter- 
vening piers  bristling  with  a  forest  of  purpled  pinnacles, 
strike  the  beholder  with  awe  and  astonishment. 

Past  Literary  Women. 

Jane  Porter  died  at  the  age  of  74. 
Miss  Mitford  died  at  the  age  of  69. 
Mrs.  Marcet  attained  the  age  of  89. 
George  Sand  smoked  in  her  old  age. 
Mrs.  Barbauld  died  at  the  age  of  82. 
Mrs.  Radcliffe  died  at  the  age  of  59. 
Hannah  Moore  died  at  the  age  of  88. 
Miss  Harriet  Lee  died  at  the  age  of  95. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  285 

Miss  Edgeworth  died  at  the  age  of  82. 
Mrs.  Somerville  reached  the  age  of  92. 
Caroline   Herschel   reached  the  age  of  98. 

Pounds  Sterling. 

In  England  money  is  characterized  by  the  word 
''  sterling,"  because  in  the  time  of  Richard  Coeur  de 
Lion  money  coined  in  the  east  part  of  Germany  became, 
on  account  of  its  purity,  in  especial  request  in  England, 
and  was  called  Easterling  money,  as  all  the  inhabitants 
of  that  part  of  Germany  were  called  E^sterlings.  Soon 
after  that  time  some  of  those  people,  who  were  skilled 
in  coining,  were  sent  for  and  went  to  London  to  bring 
the  coin  to  perfection.  That  was  the  foundation  of 
the  practice  of  designating  English  amounts  "  sterling/' 

Tara's  HalL 

"  The  Harp  that  once  through  Tara's  Hall "  com- 
memorates one  of  the  most  terrible  and  far-reaching 
curses  that  was  ever  pronounced.  The  curse  was  laid 
in  554,  or  1349  years  ago,  and  Irish  politics  has  felt 
the  influence  of  it  ever  since.  It  was  done  in  the  reign 
of  Dermid,  who  was  lapsing  back  to  active  sympathy 
with  the  Druids,  and  who,  unlike  his  predecessors  since 
St.  Patrick's  constitution  had  been  instituted,  violated 
with  impunity  the  immunities  that  instrument  had 
patented  to  the  clergy.  At  last  he  committed  a  most 
flagrant  act  by  seizing  a  prisoner  at  the  altar  of  Temple 
Ruadan,  county  of  Tipperary,  dragging  him  from  the 
protection  of  the  sacred  precincts  and  putting  the  vic- 
tim to  death. 

St.  Ruadan,  the  patron  priest,  was  exasperated,  and 
gathering  his  immediate  clergymen  journeyed  to  Tara. 
Marching  slowly  three  times  around  the  royal  rath  or 
king's  palace  with  awful  solemnity,  they  excommuni- 
cated the  aggressive  monarch,  and  chanted  a  maledic- 
tion against  the  rath  so  terrible  thit  when,  two  years 
after,  Dermid  was  slain  by  Black  Hugh  of  Ulster,  the 
place  was  deserted,  and  has  never  been  occupied  since. 
It  is  said  that  his  favorite  bard  clung  to  the  halls  for 
years,  and  that  so  thoroughly  ostracized  was  the  place 
that  his    skeleton   was    found   beside   his    faithful   but 


2^6  CURIOUS  PACTS 

broken  harp  by  a  wandering  bard  who  visited  the 
spot  years  after  having  fled  from  it  in  terror. — St, 
Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

A  Brave  Man's  Magnanimity. 

The  gallant  devotion  of  Stanley's  little  band  of  Arab 
heroes,  who,  two  hundred  strong,  beat  back  vast  hordes 
of  cunning  and  devilish  cannibals,  along  a  thousand 
miles  of  river,  or  while  carrying  his  big  canoes  over- 
land around  the  Congo  cataracts,  making  roads  over 
mountains  and  through  jungles,  dashing  forth  in  search 
of  food,  forms  a  tale  as  pathetic  and  beautiful  as  it  is 
amazing.  One  incident,  however,  must  be  told,  if  only 
for  the  light  it  throws  on  Stanley's  character.  He  had 
much  trouble  with  his  men  on  account  of  their  inherent 
propensity  to  steal,  the  results  of  which  brought  upon 
the  expedition  much  actual  disaster.  At  last  Stanley 
doomed  the  next  man  caught  stealing  to  death.  His 
grief  and  distress  were  unbounded  when  the  next  thief, 
detected  in  a  case  of  peculiar  flagrancy,  was  found  to 
be  Uledi,  the  bravest,  truest,  noblest  of  his  dusky  fol- 
lowers. Uledi  had  saved  a  hundred  lives,  his  own 
among  the  number.  He  had  performed  acts  of  the  most 
brilliant  daring,  always  successful,  always  faithful,  al- 
ways kind.  Must  Uledi  die?  He  called  all  his  men 
around  him  in  a  council.  He  explained  to  them  the 
gravity  of  Uledi's  crime.  He  reminded  them  of  his 
stern  decree,  but  said  he  was  not  hard  enough  to  en- 
force it  against  Uledi.  His  arm  was  not  strong  enough 
to  lift  the  gun  that  would  kill  Uledi,  and  he  would  not 
bid  one  of  them  to  do  what  he  could  not  do  himself. 
But  some  punishment,  and  a  hard  one,  must  be  meted 
out.  What  should  it  be?  The  council  must  decide. 
They  took  a  vote.  Uledi  must  be  flogged.  When  the 
decision  was  reached,  Stanley  standing,  Uledi  crouching 
at  his  feet,  and  the  solemn  circle  drawn  closely  around 
them,  one  man  whose  life  Uledi  had  saved  under  cir- 
cumstances of  frightful  peril,  stood  forth  and  said: 
*'  Give  me  half  the  blows,  master."  Then  another  said, 
in  the  faintest  accents,  while  tears  fell  from  his  eyes. 
"Will  the  master  give  his  slave  leave  to  speak?" 
"  Yes/*   said   Stanley.     The   Arab   came   forward   and 


CURIOUS  FACTS  287 

knelt  by  Uledi's  side.  His  words  came  slowly,  and 
now  and  then  a  sob  broke  them.  "  The  master  is 
wise,"  he  said.  "  He  knows  all  that  has  been,  for  he 
writes  them  in  a  book.  I  am  black,  and  know  not.  Nor 
can  I  remember  what  is  past.  What  we  saw  yester- 
day is  to-day  forgotten.  But  the  master  forgets  noth- 
ing. He  puts  it  ail  in  that  book.  Each  day  some- 
thing is  written.  Let  your  slave  fetch  the  book,  master, 
and  turn  its  leaves.  Maybe  you  will  find  some  words 
there  about  Uledi.  Maybe  there  is  something  that  tells 
how  he  saved  Zaidi  from  the  white  v/aters  of  the  cata- 
ract; how  he  saved  many  men — how  many,  I  forget. 
Bin  AH,  Mabruki,  Koni  Kusi — others,  too,  how  he  is 
worthier  than  any  three  of  us,  how  he  always  listens 
when  the  master  speaks,  and  flies  forth  at  his  word- 
Look,  master  at  the  book.  Then,  if  the  blows  must 
be  struck,  Shumari  will  take  half  and  I  the  other  half. 
The  master  will  do  what  is  right.  Saywa  has  spoken." 
And  Saywa's  speech  deserves  to  live  for  ever.  Stanley 
threw  away  his  whip.  "  Uledi  is  free,"  he  said.  "  Shu- 
mari and  Saywa  are  pardoned." — Christian  at  Work. 


Queer  Beliefs. 

The  Fijian  cannibal's  emotions  have  reference  for 
the  greater  part  to  food,  so  he  worships  the  god  Mata- 
waloo,  who  has  eight  stomachs  and  is  always  eating. 

The  Tongans  have  a  very  curious  dogma  to  account 
for  a  day  and  night  being  twenty-four  hours  long.  It 
used  to  be  less;  the  sun  used  to  go  down  too  quick. 
So  one  day  a  man  caught  it  with  a  noose,  and  it  had 
to  go  slower  thereafter. 

The  ancient  Peruvians  believed  that  the  sun  once 
came  down  to  the  earth  and  laid  two  eggs  and  then 
went  back  again.     From  these  two  eggs  men  sprung. 

The  American  Indians  had  a  dogma  that  the  sun  was 
the  one  supreme  god,  and  the  moon  was  his  wife.  One 
tribe  inhabiting  a  fearfully  hot  district  worshipped  the 
moon  alone,  sayins:  that  they  had  no  use  for  the  sun. 

In  the  days  of  Columbus  scientific  dogmas  asserted: 
If  a  ship  should  reach  India  she  could  never  get  back 
again,  because  the  rotundity  of  the  globe  would  present 


288  CURIOUS  FACTS, 

a  kind  of  mountain,  up  which  it  would  be  impossible 
to  ^il   even   with  the  most  favorable  wind. 

Mosquitoes. 

The  bill  of  a  mosquito  is  a  complex  institution.  It 
has  a  blunt  fork  at  the  head,  and  is  apparently  grooved. 
Working  through  the  groove,  and  projecting  from  the 
angle  of  the  fork,  is  a  lance  of  perfect  form  sharpened 
with  a  fine  bevel.  Beside  it  the  most  perfect  lance  looks 
like  a  hand  saw.  On  either  side  of  the  lance  two  saws 
are  arranged,  with  the  points  fine  and  sharp  and  the 
teeth  well  refined  and  keen.  The  backs  of  these  saws 
play  against  the  lance.  When  the  mosquito  alights 
with  his  peculiar  hum,  it  thrusts  its  keen  lance,  and 
then  enlarges  the  aperture  with  the  two  saws,  which 
play  beside  the  lance  until  the  forked  bill  with  its 
capillary  arrangement  for  pumping  blood  can  be  in- 
serted. The  sawing  process  is  what  grates  upon^  the 
nerves  of  the  victim  and  causes  him  to  strike  wildly 
at  the  sawyer. — Journal  of  Health. 

Customs  of  the  Esquimaux. 

Like  Indians,  the  Esquimaux  often  kill  the  old.  Often 
the  old  are  tired  of  life  and  beg  to  be  despatched.  If 
food  is  scarce  they  are  turned  out  to  starve,  whether 
they  like  it  or  not.  The  superfluous  women  are  also 
disposed  of  in  this  way.  Barbarism  shows  itself  in 
their  treatment  of  the  dead.  The  body  of  a  favorite 
wife  or  child  is  sometimes  protected  through  the  winter 
and  decently  buried  in  the  spring,  but  as  a  general  rule 
corpses  are  dragged  a  short  distance  from  the  village 
and  abandoned  to  the  dogs. 

The  savages  have  no  idea  of  the  marriage  relation. 
Women  are  treated  as  chattels.  The  number  of  wives 
a  man  may  have  is  regulated  not  by  his  possessions,  as 
among  our  Mormons,  but  by  his  ability  to  manage 
wornen.  One  infers  from  this  that  polygamy  is  not 
carried  on  to  any  great  extent. 

Flowers  in  Heligious  Ceremonies. 
The  universal  admiration  for  flowers  and  plants  has, 
no   doubt,  inspired  their  use   in  religious  ceremonials. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  289 

When  the  Spaniards  conquered  Mexico  they  found  in 
the  lake  surrounding  the  capital  city  floating  gardens, 
the  products  of  which  were  designed  altogether  for 
temple  use.  In  both  Greece  and  Rome  profuse  employ- 
ment was  made  of  flowers  in  triumphal  processions,  and 
so  highly  esteemed  were  these  products  of  the  garden 
that  a  special  feast,  the  Floralia,  was  established  in 
honor  of  the  flowers,  a  survival  of  this  heathen  festi- 
val being  seen  in  various  points  in  England,  where  on 
Ascension  day  the  walls  are  dressed  in  floral  wreaths. 
At  Weymouth  on  the  ist  of  May,  flowers  are  thrown 
into  the  sea.  So  in  India  the  Singahales  seemed  to  have 
used  flowers  to  an  almost  incredible  extent,  and  one  of 
their  old  chronicles  tells  us  how  the  Ruanwelle  dagoba 
— 270  feet  high — was  festooned  with  garlands  from 
pedestal  to  pinnacle,  till  it  had  the  appearance  of  one 
uniform  bouquet.  "  We  are  further  told  that  in  the 
fifteenth  century  a  certain  king  offered  no  less  than 
6480,320  sweet  smelling  flowers  at  the  shrine  of  the 
tooth;  and  among  the  regulations  of  the  temple  at 
Dambedenia  in  the  thirteenth  century,  one  prescribes 
that  *  every  day  an  offering  of  100,000  blossoms,  and 
each  day  a  different  kind  of  flower,'  should  be  pre- 
sented. This  is  a  striking  instance,  but  only  one  of 
many." — Folk  Lore  of  Plants. 

How  they  were  Made. 

Among  exclamations  in  common  use  "  Hello !  "  and 
"  Hurrah ! "  have  curious  origins  attributed  to  them. 
It  is  sai'l  by  the  author  of  the  '*  Queen's  English  "  that 
the  people  of  Camwood  forest,  Leicestershire,  when  they 
desire  to  hail  a  person  at  a  distance  call  out  not 
"  hello !  "  but  ^'  halloup  !  "  This,  he  imagines,  is  a  sur- 
vival of  the  times  when  one  cried  to  another :  '*  A  loup ! 
a  loup !  "  or  as  we  would  now  say :  ''  Wolf !  wolf !  " 
**  Hurrah !  "  again,  according  to  M.  Littre,  is  derived 
from  the  Slavonic  huraj,  "to  Paradise,"  which  signifies 
that  all  soldiers  who  fell  fighting  valiantly  went  straight 
to  heaven.  "  Prithee "  is  obviously  a  corruption  of 
"  I  pray  thee,"  while  "  marry  "  was  originally  h  method 
of  swearing  by  the  Virgin  Mary. — All  the  Year  Round 


290  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Foiuiding  Words. 

The  first  vessel  of  schooner  rig  is  said  to  have  been 
built  in  Gloucester  about  the  year  1713.  When  she  went 
off  the  stocks  into  the  water  a  bystander  cried  out: 
'*  Oh,  how  she  scoons  !  "  The  builder  instantly  replied : 
"  A  scooner  let  her  be ;  "  and  from  that  time  vessels 
thus  rigged  have  gone  by  that  name.  The  word  scoon 
is  popularly  used  in  some  parts  of  New  England  to 
denote  the  act  of  making  stones  skip  along  the  surface 
of  the  water.  The  Scottish  scon  means  the  same  thing. 
The  word  appears  to  have  been  originally  written 
scooner. 

Wheat  and  Whence  it  Came. 

Wheat,  which  is  now  the  bread  corn  of  twelve 
European  nations,  and  is  fast  supplanting  corn  in 
America  and  several  inferior  grains  in  India,  was  no 
doubt  widely  grown  in  the  prehistoric  world.  The 
Chinese  cultivated  it  2700  b.  c.  as  a  gift  direct  from 
heaven;  the  Egyptians  attributed  its  origin  to  I  sis,  and 
the  Greeks  to  Ceres.  A  classic  account  of  the  distri- 
bution of  wheat  over  the  primeval  world  shows  that 
Ceres,  having  taught  her  favorite  Triptolemus  agricul- 
ture and  the  art  of  bread-making,  gave  him  her  chariot, 
a  celestial  vehicle  which  he  used  in  useful  travels  for 
the  purpose  of  distributing  corn  to  all  nations. 

Ancient  monuments  show  that  the  cultivation  of  wheat 
had  been  established  in  Egypt  before  the  invasion  of 
the  shepherds,  and  there  is  evidence  that  more  produc- 
tive varieties  of  wheat  have  taken  the  place  of  one,  at 
least,  of  the  ancient  sorts.  Innumerable  varieties  exist 
of  common  wheat.  Colonel  Le  Couteur  of  Jersey  cul- 
tivated 150  varieties.  Mr.  Darwin  mentioned  a  French 
gentleman  who  had  collected  322  varieties,  and  the 
great  firm  of  French  seed  merchants,  Vilmorin-Andrieux 
et  Cie.,  cultivate  about  twice  as  many  in  their  trial 
grounds  near  Paris. 

Three  small  grained  varieties  of  common  wheat  were 
cultivated  by  the  first  lake  dwellers  of  Switzerland 
(time  of  Trojan  war),  and  as  well  as  by  the  less 
ancient  lake  dwellers  of  western  Switzerland  and  of 
Italy,  by  the  people  of  Hungary  in  the  stone  age,  and 


CURIOUS  FACTS.  2gt 

by  the  Egyptians  on  the  evidence  of  a  brick  of  a 
pyramid  in  which  a  grain  was  imbedded,  and  to  which 
the  date  of  3359  b.  c.  has  been  assigned.  The  existence 
of  names  for  wheat  in  the  most  ancient  languages  con- 
firms this  evidence  of  the  antiquity  of  its  culture  in 
all  the  more  temperate  parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa,  but  it  seems  improbable  that  wheat  has  ever 
been  found  growing  persistently  in  a  wild  state,  although 
the  fact  has  often  been  asserted  by  poets,  travelers,  and 
historians. 

In  the  Odyssey,  for  example,  we  are  told  that  wheat 
grew  in  Sicily  without  the  aid  of  man,  but  a  blind 
poet  could  not  have  seen  this  himself,  and  a  botanical 
fact  can  hardly  be  accepted  from  a  writer  whose-  own 
existence  has  been  contested.  Diodorus  repeats  the 
tradition  that  Osiris  found  wheat  and  barley  growing 
promiscuously  in  Palestine,  but  neither  this  nor  other 
discoveries  of  persistent  wild  wheat  seems  to  us  to  be 
credible,  seeing  that  wheat  does  not  appear  to  be  en- 
dowed with  a  power  of  persistency  except  under  cul- 
ture.— Edinburgh  Review. 

St.  Peter's. 

The  largest  and  grandest  temple  of  worship  in  the 
world  is  the  St.  Peter's  cathedral  at  Rome.  It  stands 
on  the  site  of  Nero's  circus,  in  the  north-west  part  of 
the  city,  and  is  built  in  form  of  a  Latin  cross.  The  total 
length  of  the  interior  is  612  1-2  feet;  transept,  446  1-2 
feet;  height  of  nave,  152  1-2  feet;  diameter  of  cupola, 
193  feet;  height  of  dome  from  pavement  to  top  of 
cross,  448  feet.  The  great  bell  alone,  without  the 
hammer  or  clapper,  weighs  18,600  pounds,  or  over  nine 
and  a  quarter  tons.  The  foundation  was  laid  in  1450 
A.  D.  Forty-three  popes  lived  and  died  during  the  time 
the  work  was  in  progress.  It  was  dedicated  in  the 
year  1826,  but  not  entirely  finished  until  the  year  1880. 
The  cost,  in  round  numbers,  is  set  down  at  $70,000,000. 

Distribution  of  Seeds. 

Mr.  Darwin  found  that  the  small  portions  of  earth 
attaching  to  the  feet  of  migrating  birds  contained  seed. 


^2 


^CURIOUS  FACTS 


Nine  grains  of  earth  on  the  leg  of  the  woodcock  con- 
tained a  seed  of  the  toad  rush.  From  six  and  a  half 
ounces  of  earth  rolled  into  a  ball  and  adhering  to  the 
iQg  of  a  wounded  partridge  he  raised  eighty-two 
separate  plants  of  five  species.  Migrating  birds  often 
frequent  the  edges  of  ponds  ere  their  departure,  and 
in  six  and  three-quarter  ounces  of  such  mud  he  raised 
under  glass  537  plants.  Seeds  furnished  with  crowns, 
hooks,  or  prickles,  readily  stick  to  the  plumage  of  birds, 
which  all  such  birds,  and  especially  such  wanderers 
as  the  albatross,  might  carry  long  distances. 

Applying  these  facts  to  the  case  of  the  Azores,  Mr. 
Wallace  found  that  most  of  the  Azorean  flora  are  well 
adapted  to  be  carried  by  the  methods  just  suggested — 
45  of  the  439  flowering  plants  belonging  to  genera  that 
have  either  pappus  or  winged  seeds,  65  to  such  as  have 
minute  seeds,  30  to  those  with  fleshy  fruits  which  are 
greedily  eaten  by  birds,  -some  have  hispid  seeds,  and 
84  are  glumaceous  plants  well  suited  to  conveyance  by 
winds  and  currents.  The  only  trees  and  shrubs  of 
this  isolated  group  are  bearers  of  small  berries,  such 
as  the  Portugal  laurel,  myrtle,  laurustinus,  and  elder, 
while  those  with  heavy  berries,  which  could  not  be 
conveyed  by  the  means  suggested — oaks,  chestnuts, 
hazels,  apples,  beeches,  alders,  firs — are  absent,  com- 
mon as  they  are  in  Europe.  The  character  of  the  flora 
is  that  of  the  south-western  peninsula  of  Europe,  and, 
if  we  assume  that  one-half  of  its  species  is  indigenous, 
the  other  introduced  by  European  settlers,  there  is  still 
a  rich  and  varied  flora  which  Mr.  Wallace  thinks  has 
recently  been  carried  over  900  miles  of  ocean  by  the 
means  just  indicated. 

There  is  probably  no  better  example  of  ocean  migra- 
tion than  that  offered  by  the  Azores,  and  it  is  believed 
and  that  900  miles  do  not  form  the  limit  of  the  distance 
that  the  phenomena  in  question  are  still  in  progress, 
to  which  this  same  ocean  carriage  of  plants  extends. — 
Edinburgh  Review. 

A  Rival  of  the  Virginia  Natural  Bridge. 
High  up  in  the  crest  of  the  mountains  on  the  Birming- 
ham, Sheffield,  and  Tennessee  River  railroad  there  is 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  '293 

to  be  found  one  of  Nature's  wonders.  It  is  a  natural 
bridge,  as  complete,  as  perfect,  as  symmetrical,  and, 
in  some  essentials,  more  remarkable  than  the  great 
natural  bridge  of  Virginia. 

The  bridge  lies  between  the  stations  of  Lynn  and 
Delmar.  It  is  about  fifty-eight  miles  from  Sheffield  and 
twenty-nine  miles  from  Jasper.  Its  length  from  abut- 
ment to  abutment  is  175  feet.  Its  width  is  25  feet, 
and  the  thickness  ranges  from  4  to  6  feet.  It  is  of 
pure  sandstone,  and  has  no  doubt  stood  the  climate 
changes  of  ages.  Leaning  over  the  bridge  you  see  in 
the  ravine  which  it  spans,  some  sixty  feet  below,  the 
shimmer  and  sparkle  of  many  springs  of  clear,  limpid 
water,  which  bubble  from  the  sandstone  soil,  and  join- 
ing flow  down  the  ravine.  A  singular  feature  is  a 
subdivision  or  smaller  bridge,  constructed  on  the  same 
pattern,  perhaps  even  more  perfect  lines,  which  leads 
from  one  side  of  the  bridge  proper. — Tuscumbia  North 
Alabamian. 

A  Safe  ITame. 

In  the  year  1664,  on  the  5th  day  of  December,  the 
English  ship  Menai  was  crossing  the  Straits  and  cap- 
sized in  a  gale.  Of  the  eighty-one  passengers  on  board 
but  one  was  saved.  His  name  was  Hugh  Williams. 
On  the  same  day,  in  the  year  1785,  a  pleasure  schooner 
was  wrecked  on  the  Isle  of  Man.  There  were  sixty 
persons  in  the  boat,  among  them  one  Hugh  WilHams 
and  his  family.  Of  the  three  score  none  but  old  Hugh 
Williams  survived  the  shock.  On  the  5th  day  of  August, 
1820,  a  picnicing  party  on  the  Thames  was  run  down 
by  a  coal  barge.  There  were  twenty-five  of  the  pic- 
nicers,  mostly  children  under  12  years  of  age.  Little 
Hugh  Williams,  a  visitor  from  Liverpool,  only  5  years 
old,  was  the  only  one  that  returned  to  tell  the  tale. 
Now  comes  the  most  singular  part  of  this  singular 
story:  On  the  19th  of  August,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1889,  a  Leeds  coal  barge,  with  nine  men,  foundered. 
Two  of  them,  both  Hugh  Williams,  an  uncle  and 
nephew,  were  rescued  by  some  fishermen,  and  were  the 
only  men  of  the  crew  who  lived  to  tell  of  the  calamity. 
These  are  facts  which  can  be  substantiated. — Leeds 
Mercury. 


294  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Odd  Items. 

The  longest  item  of  news  ever  telegraphed  to  a  news- 
paper was  the  entire  New  Testament  as  revised,  which 
was  sent  from  New  York  to  the  Chicago  Tribune  for 
May  22,  1882.  That  issue  of  the  Tribune  comprised 
twenty  pages,  sixteen  of  v/hich  were  taken  up  by  the 
New   Testament. 

Burls,  used  in  making  veneers  with  remarkable  ec- 
centricities of  grain,  are  excrescences  that  grow  upon 
various  trees,  such  as  the  walnut,  rosewood,  mahog- 
any, oak,  and  ash.  They  v/eigh  from  1,000  to  6.000 
pounds,  and  the  largest  and  best  come  from  Persia 
and  Circassia,  and  cost  in  the  rough  from  fifteen  to 
forty   cents   a   pound. 

There  are  in  London  65  theatres  and  about  500  music 
halls,  providing  entertainment  for  325,000  people  every 
night,  or  ioo,coo,oco  in  the  course  of  a  year. 

The  multiplication  of  987,654,321  by  45  gives  44,444,- 
444.445.  Reversing  the  order  and  multiplying  123,456,- 
789  by  45  a  result  equally  odd  is  obtained— 5,555,555,505. 

*'  Paradise,"  by  Tintoretto,  is  the  largest  painting  in 
the  world.  It  is  eighty-four  feet  wide,  thirty-three  and 
a  half  feet  high,  and  is  now  in  the  Doge's  palace,  Venice. 

A  recent  discussion  about  the  height  of  trees  in  the 
forests  of  Victoria  brings  from  the  government  botanist 
the  statement  that  he  has  seen  one  525  feet  high.  The 
chief  inspector  of  forests  measured  a  fallen  one  that 
was  485   feet  long. 

The  follov/ing  is  the  entire  list  of  wedding  anni- 
versaries: First  anniversary,  iron;  fifth,  wooden;  tenth, 
tin ;  fifteenth,  crystal ;  twentieth,  china ;  twenty-fifth, 
silver ;  thirtieth,  cotton ;  thirty-fifth,  linen ;  fortieth, 
woollen ;  forty-fifth,  silk ;  fiftieth,  golden ;  seventy-fifth, 
diamond. 

Here  is  a  way  to  tell  how  fast  you  are  traveling  in 
a  railway  car:  Every  time  the  car  passes  over  a  rail 
joint  there  is  a  distinct  click.  Count  the  number  of 
these  clicks  in  twenty  seconds  and  3^ou  have  the  number 
of  miles  the  train  is  going  per  hour.  This  is  a  simple 
matter  of  arithmetic,  as  the  length  of  the  rails  is  uni- 
form. 

Shaving  was  introduced  among  the  Romans  about  b.  c. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  295 

300.  Pliny,  says  Scipio  Africanus,  was  the  first  Ro- 
man who  shaved  every  day.  Subsequently  the  first  day 
of  shaving  was  regarded  by  the  Romans  as  the  entrance 
upon  manhood,  and  celebrated  with  great  festivities. 

Ancient  Marriage  Customs. 

According  to  The  Cleveland  Commercial  Gazette,  the 
Hebrews  had  a  beautiful  and  elevated  idea  of  the  mar- 
riage relation ;  the  Greeks  had  not.  Sparta  cared 
nothing  for  the  sanctity  of  marriage,  and  it  was  con- 
sidered customary  and  reputable  for  men  to  give  their 
wives  over  to  their  friends.  Aristotle  speaks  of  men 
buying  wives  from  one  another.  Homer  refers  to  the 
fact  that  the  father  was  the  owner  of  the  child  until 
she  was  beyond  his  control,  and  was  paid  for  her  in 
cattle,  and  this  was  called  cattle  finding.  A  Trojan 
ally,  who  was  slain  by  Agamemnon,  had  given  100  cattle 
to  obtain  a  wife,  and  then  promised  1,000  head  of 
sheep  and  goats  besides.  If  the  wife  proved  unfaithful, 
the  husband  could  demand  back  the  price.  Under  the 
Roman  law  a  dower  had  to  go  with  the  wife. 

Affinity  and  consanguinity  were  formerly  in  some 
countries  greater  objections  to  marriage  than  now. 
Gregory  forbade  the  marriage  of  cousins.  The  Church 
of  England  does  not  forbid  such  marriages.  Some  of 
our  states  do  and  some  do  not.  The  romantic  Cleo- 
patra was  a  daughter  of  a  brother  and  sister,  and  she 
wedded  her  younger  brother,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  Ptolemies.  Many  authorities  claim  that  marriage 
to  cousins  is  not  detrimental  where  there  have  not  been 
such  marriages  in  the  family  before. 

The  marriage  ceremony  has  differed  in  all  ages. 
Among  the  ancient  Hebrews  marriage  began  with  the 
betrothal,  but  no  formality  was  required.  By  His  teach- 
ing Christ  became  a  legislator  on  this  subject,  and  en- 
nobled the  relation  more  than  it  had  ever  been  in  the 
world's  histor}^ 

Terms  Used  by  Dressmakers. 

Some  of  the  phrases  used  in  dressmaking  are  per- 
fect Greek  to  the  unknowing,  so  I  add  a  short  list  of 
the  words  and  their  meanings.     An  apron  is  any  sort 


296 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


of  a  draped  skirt ;  a  tablier  is  a  flat  undraped  skirt  front ; 
a  full  back  means  a  straight  back  to  the  skirt  gathered 
in  two  or  more  rows  at  the  top ;  a  panel  is  a  straight 
piece  for  the  front  or  sides,  set  in  between  a  trimming 
of  some  kind  to  convey  the  idea  of  an  inlay;  a  Spanish 
flounce  is  one  reaching  from  the  knees  down,  and  gath- 
ered to  form  an  erect  ruffle.  Knife  plaits  are  very  nar- 
row side  plaits,  and  accordion  plaits  arc  still  narrower 
and  pressed  in  shape  by  machinery ;  kilt  plaits  are  those 
turned  one  way,  and  box  plaits  have  a  fold  to  the  right 
side  and  one  to  the  left ;  double  and  triple  box  plaits 
have  two  or  three  folds  on  either  side ;  a  "  kilt "  means 
a  skirt  entirely  of  kilt  plaits.  A  "'  drop  "  skirt  is  one  of 
the  dress  material  made  up  independent  of  the  lining, 
and  then  hung  or  dropped  over  it  from  the  same  belt. 
A  border  is  any  trimming  put  on  the  edge  or  just 
above  it.  Armure  silk  has  a  bird's-eye  or  diaper  weave ; 
faille  Frangaise  has  a  soft  cord,  moire  has  water  waves 
over  its  surface,  tricotrine  is  sometimes  called  armure 
surah  from  its  lines  of  bird's-eye  weaving;  surah  hae 
almost  invisible  cords  and  is  very  soft. — Ladies'  Home 
Journal. 

The  Phonograph  Foretold. 

In  the  realm  of  imagination  a  very  curious  forecast 
may  be  found  in  Cyrano  de  Bergerac's  '*  Voyage  to  the 
Moon."  the  book  from  which  Swift  did  not  disdain  to 
borrow  ideas.  Cyrano's  imaginary  traveler  tells  of  a 
wonderful  book  presented  to  him  by  a  lunar  inhabitant, 
a  book  with  neither  leaves  nor  letters,  a  book  made 
wholly  for  the  ears  and  not  the  eyes,  ''  so  that  when 
anybody  has  a  mind  to  read  it  he  winds  up  that  ma- 
chine with  a  great  many  little  springs,  then  he  turns 
the  hand  to  the  chapter  which  he  desires,  and  straight 
as  from  the  mouth  of  man,  or  a  musical  instrument, 
proceed  all  the  distinct  and  different  sounds  which  all 
the  lunar  grandees  make  use  of  for  expressing  their 
thoughts   instead   of  language." 

In  No.  254  of  The  Tattler  Sir  Richard  Steele  pre- 
tends to  have  come  in  possession  of  an  unpublished 
manuscript  by  Sir  John  Mandeville,  which  gives  some 
account,  in  his  usual  veracious  manner,  "  of  the  freez- 
ing  and   thawing   of   several    short   speeches   in   Nova 


CURIOUS  FACTS  297 

Zembla."  "  I  need  not  inform  my  readers,"  adds  Sir 
Richard,  "  that  the  author  of  '  Hudibras '  alludes  to  this 
strange  quality  in  that  cold  climate,  when,  speaking  of 
abstracted  notions,  clothed  in  a  visible  shape,  he  adds 
that  simile: 

*'  '  Like  words  congealed  in  northern  air.' " 

Mandeville's  pretended  story  tells  how  the  weather 
was  so  cold  that  he  and  his  companions  on  shipboard 
found  themselves  deprived  of  the  benefit  of  speech — 
their  words  froze  in  the  air  before  they  could  reach  the 
ears  of  the  person  to  whom  they  were  spoken.  This 
distressing  state  of  affairs  lasted  for  three  weeks.  At 
length  a  thaw  set  in.  "  Our  cabin  was  immediately 
filled  with  a  dry,  clattering  sound,  which  I  afterward 
found  to  be  the  crackling  of  consonants  that  broke 
above  our  heads,  and  were  often  mixed  with  a  gentle 
hissing,  which  I  imputed  to  the  letters  that  comes 
so  frequently  in  the  English  language. 

''  I  soon  after  felt  a  breeze  of  whispers  rushing  by 
my  ear,  for  those  being  of  a  soft  and  gentle  substance 
immediately  liquefied  in  the  warm  wind  that  blew  across 
our  cabin.  These  were  soon  followed  by  syllables  and 
short  words,  and  at  length  by  entire  sentences,  that 
melted  sooner  or  later,  as  they  were  more  or  less  con- 
gealed; so  that  we  now  heard  everything  that  had  been 
spoken  during  the  whole  three  weeks  that  we  had  been 
silent — if  I  may  use  that  expression.  My  reader  will 
easily  imagine  how  the  whole  crew  was  amazed  to 
hear  every  man  talking  and  see  no  man  opening  his 
mouth." 

Big  Trees  of  California. 

The  "  big  trees  "  are  among  the  most  sublime  of  the 
natural  wonders  of  the  world.  One  who  has  never  seen 
them  can  have  no  conception  of  their  immensity.  The 
largest  of  them  are  over  30  feet  in  diameter  10  feet  from 
the  ground,  and  the  tallest  are  over  300  feet  high.  The 
principal  ones  in  the  Yosemite  park  have  distinctive 
titles  or  names. 

''  The  Fallen  Monarch "  was  one  of  the  grandest  in 
the  grove.  As  it  now  lies  prostrate  upon  the  earth,  its 
diameter  averages  over  twenty  feet  for  more  than  a 


298  CURIOUS  FACTS 

hundred  feet  of  its  length.  The  top  and  part  of  the 
butt  end  have  been  destroyed  by  fire.  How  long  the 
tree  has  lain  there  is  unknown;  it  may  have  been  there 
for  more  than  a  thousand  years.  The  wood  of  the 
I'  big  trees  "  is  a  species  of  cedar,  and  it  is  well  nigh 
imperishable  in  atmospheric  influences.  Fire,  however, 
has  been  the  great  destroying  element  in  those  wonder- 
ful relics  of  the  past. 

You  climb  to  the  crest  of  the  "  Fallen  Monarch " 
by  the  aid  of  a  ladder  of  some  ten  rungs.  You  can 
have  no  just  conception  of  the  immensity  of  the  tree 
until  you  walk  along  its  mighty  back  for  over  a  hun- 
dred  feet. 

Near  by  are  some  more  wonders.  I  give  your  read- 
ers some  idea  of  some  of  them.  "  The  General  Grant  '* 
tree  is  not  far  off,  a  huge  and  grim  specimen,  looking 
as  stern  as  the  great  warrior  ever  appeared.  There  is 
one  known  as  "  The  Grizzly  Giant,"  a  monster  27  feet 
in  diameter,  9  feet  from  the  ground.  At  the  height  of 
just  100  feet  the  first  limb  comes  out ;  that  limb  is  6 
feet  in  diameter.  This  tree  gives  you  a  deep  sense  of 
awe  as  you  gaze  on  its  sublime  yet  grizzly  aspect. 

Within  close  walking  distance  is  "  The  Telescope 
Tree."  This  is  about  100  feet  high,  the  top  of  it  above 
that  height  having  been  destroyed  by  fire.  This  tree 
is  a  hollow  tube.  From  the  base  you  look  up  through 
this  tube  into  the  deep  skies  above.  You  can  ride  on 
horseback  into  the  opening  below. 

Not  far  away  is  another  hollow  monster  prostrate  on 
the  earth.  You  can  ride  in  at  the  lower  entrance,  and 
go  100  feet,  and  out  at  a  knot  hole. 

The^  most  conspicuous  and  most  celebrated  of  the 
trees  is  one  that  stands  directly  astride  of  the  broad 
avenue  made  for  driving  through  the  park.  The  avenue, 
a  highway,  makes  directly  towards  this  tree,  and  an 
opening  for  the  road  bed  is  cut  directly  through  the 
heart  of  the  very  tree  itself.  You  drive  right  in  under 
the  archway  of  solid  wood,  and  the  driver  stops,  the 
great  stage  and  four  horses  all  covered  by  the  shelter- 
ing tree;  and  there  is,  furthermore,  ten  feet  of  solid 
wall  on  either  side  of  the  wheels  of  the  coach.     The 


CURIOUS  FACTS  '  2gg 

tree  is  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  height  of 
the  stage  top. — Atlanta  American, 

Proverbs  of  the  Scotch. 

A  hunger  and  a  burst. 

A  gi'en  piece  is  soon  eaten. 

A  begun  turn  is  half  ended. 

After  a  storm  comes  a  calm. 

A   friend's   dinner   soon   dished. 

A  black  hen  lays  a  white  egg. 

Ane   ne'er   tines   by  doing   gude. 

A  hasty  man  never  wanted  wae. 

A   gude  cause  makes   a   strong  arm. 

A  green  Yule  makes  a  fat  kirk-yard. 

An   ill   shearer   never   got  a  gude   heuk. 

A  bit  is  often  better  gi'en  than  eaten. 

A  fidging  mare  should  be  well  girded. 

A  greedy  e'e  ne'er  gat  a  gude  pennyworth. 

A  man's  weel  or  wae  as  he  thinks  himself  sae. 

An  ilka  day  braw  makes  a  Sabbath  day  daw. 

Ane  cannot  wive  and  thrive  baith  in  ae  year. 

A  handfu'  o'  trade  is  worth  a  gowpen  o'  gowd. 

A  gi'en  horse   shouldna  be  looked   i'  the  mouth. 

Affront  your  friend  in  daffin'  and  tine  him  in  earnest. 

An  inch  o'  gude  fortune  is  worth  a  fathom  o'  fore- 
cast. 

A  kiss  and  a  drink  of  water  mak  but  a  poor  break- 
fast. 

Ane  may  lo'e  haggis,  that  wadna  hae  the  bag  thrown 
in  his  teeth. 

An  ill  wife  and  a  new  kindled  candle  should  hae 
their  heads  hadden  down. 

How  they  were  Named. 

January  is  of  Latin  origin,  from  the  word  Januarius, 
named  by  the  ancient  Romans  in  honor  of  their  so- 
called  "  god,"  Janus,  to  whom  the  season  of  the  year 
was  sacred. 

February  comes  from  the  Latin  word  Februarius,  de- 
rived from  februm,  which,  in  the  Sabine  language,  meant 
a  "  purgative ;  "  hence  comes  the  noun  Februara,  which 


300 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


signified  the  Roman  festival  of  lustration  and  expi- 
ation. 

March  is  named  in  honor  of  Mars,  the  Roman  god 
of  war. 

April  derived  its  name  from  the  Latin,  Aprilis,  and 
that  from   Aperire,  which   means  to  open. 

May  is  a  name,  the  origin  of  which  comes  from  the 
Romans,  in  honor  of  Maia,  the  mother  of  Mercury  and 
daughter  of  Atlas. 

June  is  a  name  that  all  will  readily  think  of  when 
they  read  the  history  of  the  goddess  Juno.  In  this 
month,  she  seemed,  from  all  accounts,  to  be  greatly 
worshipped. 

July  is  in  honor  of  the  great  Roman,  Caius  Julius 
Caesar,  who  was  born  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

August  was  named  in  honor  of  the  great  Roman 
emperor,  Augustus   Caesar. 

September  was  the  seventh  month  of  the  Roman 
year,  as  they  commenced  with  March,  and  consequently 
derived  its  name  from  the  Latin  word  septem,  mean- 
ing seven. 

October  being  the  eighth  month  of  the  year,  derives 
its  name  from  octo,  meaning  eight. 

November  is  from  novem,  meaning  nine. 

December  is  from  the  Latin  word  decem,  ten,  it  being 
the  tenth  month  of  the  Roman  year. 

Humming  Birds. 

Humming  birds  are  confined  to  the  American  conti- 
nent, including  the  West  Indies.  Although  nearly 
tropical  in  their  distribution,  some  few^  hardy  species 
extend  upwards  on  the  slopes  of  the  Great  Andes  to 
the  very  regions  of  eternal  snow.  There  is  now  no 
doubt  that  they  are  insect  eaters,  although  they  also 
use  very  largely  the  nectar  flowers.  There  are  nearly 
400  species  of  these  "jewels  of  ornitholosry  "  known  to 
the  naturalist.  Mr.  Gosse,  in  writing  of  the  Vervain 
humming  bird,  which  is  found  in  Jamaica,  says : — "  I 
have  sometimes  watched,  with  much  delight,  the  evolu- 
tions of  this  little  species  at  the  moringa  tree.  When 
only  one  is  present,  he  pursues  the  round  of  the  blos- 
soms soberly  enough,  sucking  as  he  goes,  and  now  and 


CURIOUS  FACTS  301 

anon  sitting  quietly  on  a  twig.  But  if  two  are  about 
the  tree,  one  will  liy  off,  and  suspending  himself  in  the 
air  a  few  yards  distant,  the  other  presently  shoots  off 
to  him,  and  then,  without  touching  each  other,  they 
mount  upwards,  with  a  strong  rustling  of  wings,  per- 
haps for  500  feet.  Then  they  separate,  and  each  shoots 
diagonally  towards  the  ground,  like  a  ball  from  a  rifle, 
and,  wheeling  round,  comes  up  to  the  blossoms  again, 
and  sucks  and  sucks  as  if  it  had  not  moved  away  at 
all." 

Quarrying   Onyx. 

Mexican  onyx  is  a  form  of  stalagmite  and  its  colors 
are  formed  of  oxides  of  metals  in  the  earth  over  the 
caves  through  which  calcareous  water  passes.  Gold  is 
represented  by  purple,  silver  by  yellow,  iron  by  red, 
copper  by  green,  and  arsenic  and  zinc  by  white.  Vol- 
canic eruptions  and  earthquakes  have  almost  destroyed 
the  caves  in  which  onyx  exists,  and  the  native  Indians 
who  mine  it  have  to  cut  through  masses  of  ruins. 
Blocks  of  the  material  are  quarried  in  a  primitive  way, 
in  or''er  not  to  shatter  the  substance.  Deep  round  holes 
are  <lrilled  by  hand  on  a  line.  In  each  hole  is  inserted 
a  snug  fitting  piece  of  wood,  which  has  been  grooved 
from  end  to  end.  Hot  water  is  poured  into  the  grooves 
at  night.  This  swells  the  wood,  and  the  block  is  split 
along  the  line  without  damage.  The  natives  then  saw 
the  block  into  slabs  and  polish  the  surface  by  hand. 
Each  piece  is  transparent,  and  when  placed  between  the 
eyes  and  a  strong  light  presents  a  remarkably  beautiful 
effect  in  form  and  color. 

Astrology, 

There  are  four  general  departments  in  astrology — 
nativities,  or  the  art  of  foretelling  from  a  study  of  the 
map  of  the  heavens  at  the  moment  of  birth  the  general 
character  and  destiny  of  the  questioner;  mundane 
matters,  or  foretelling  by  the  map  of  the  heavens  at 
certain  stated  times  the  fate  of  nations  and  races,  such 
as  wars,  pestilences,  floods,  and  conflagrations;  weather 
prophesying,  or  predicting  from  the  mutual  aspects  of 
the  sun,  moon,  and  planets,  what  the  weather  will  be 


302 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


at  certain  times  and  places;  and  horary  astrology,  the 
art  of  predicting  from  a  map  of  the  heavens  at  the 
time  of  anxiety  or  question  the  result  of  any  business 
or  other  matter  of  interest  to  the  questioner. 

It  is  a  fundamental  doctrine  in  astrology  that 
the  sun,  moon,  and  planets  each  exercise  a  distinct,  pe- 
culiar, and  immediate  influence  upon  man.  This  influ- 
ence culminates  at  birth,  and  the  ruling  planet  (which 
is  called  "the  lord  of  the  nativity")  at  that  time  ex- 
ercises such  power  over  the  child  as  to  stamp  its  char- 
acter upon  the  entire  life. 

This  astral  influence  extends  not  only  to  the  whole 
life  in  general,  but  likewise  to  all  its  particulars  of 
feelings,  thoughts,  and  actions  in  minutiae.  This  astral 
influence  determines  man's  physical  appearance,  in- 
tellectual peculiarities,  moral  character,  length  of  years, 
rank,  fortune,  and  friends — in  short,  determines  his  life. 

To  "  cast  a  nativity,"  it  was  necessary  for  the  astrol- 
oger to  know  the  exact  instant  of  birth.  Then  he  drew 
a  horoscope — that  is,  made  a  map  of  the  heavens  at  that 
instant,  as  accurately  as  his  knowledge  of  astronomy 
would  permit,  and  studied  the  aspect  of  the  planets. 

The  zodiac  is  divided  into  twelve  signs  of  30  degs. 
each,  and  from  the  conjunction  of  the  planets  in  these 
signs  and  from  the  various  positions  of  other  planets 
they  augured  good  or  ill  for  the  babe. 

Much,  of  course,  depended  upon  the  skill  of  the 
astrologer,  and  a  great  deal  upon  his  knowledge  of 
human   nature. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  rich  people  generally  got  good 
aspects.  But  there  are  certain  rules  which  all  astrologers 
have  always  claimed  to  be  infallible. 

The  moon  rules  the  first  four  years  of  life,  and  dur- 
ing this  period  all  other  indications  must  be  interpreted 
with  the  fair  "  goddess  of  the  night  "  as  the  dominator 
of  the  activities  and  results. 

Her  subjects — that  is,  those  born  when  the  moon  is  in 
the  ascendant — are  pale  and  serene;  and,  while  full  in 
form  and  gentle  in  disposition,  they  are  apt  to  be  lazy, 
or  at  least  rather  inefficient.  They  are  frequently  no- 
ticeable for  their  large  languid  eyes  and  receding  chin. 

The  moon  has  much  to  do  with  one's  natural  pro- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  303 

pensities,  and  so  her  position  in  the  zodiac  and  her 
aspect  with  the  other  powers  should  be  fully  and  ac- 
curately  determined    and    carefully    studied. 

Good  aspect  with  Saturn  promises  legacies,  gains  and 
honors  through  the  favor  or  death  of  old  people;  bad 
aspects  with  Saturn,  *on  the  contrary,  presage  injuries 
or  loss  from  the  same  kind  of  people. 

The  moon  in  favorable  aspect  with  Jupiter  promises 
wealth;  with  Mars,  success  in  all  contests,  competitions, 
constructions,  or  manual  operations  which  require  cour- 
age, skill  and  responsibility;  with  Venus,  many  and  de- 
voted friends  among  the  opposite  sex;  with  Mercury, 
great  good  fortune  through  one's  own  superior  mental 
attainments  and  talent. 

Evil  aspect  with  Mars  presages  boldness,  rashness 
and  discomfort  from  defeat  by  stronger  opposing  forces ; 
and  with  Mercury,  it  announces  dishonesty  and  un- 
truthfulness. 

Strange  to  say,  the  sun,  which  is  the  most  glorious 
of  all  the  heavenly  bodies,  is  less  noticed  in  the  horo- 
scope than  the  moon. 

The  astrologer  gives  as  a  reason  for  this  apparent 
neglect  that  the  sun,  although  the  source  of  all  life  and 
power,  dispenses  his  influence  through  his  lieutenants 
— the  planets. 

It  is  also  noticeable  that  Uranus  and  Neptune  have 
no  place  in  ancient  astrology,  and  very  little  in  the 
modern  art.  The  reason  is  that  these  two  planets  were 
unknown  until  modern  times.  It  is  dreadful  to  think 
how  much  malign  influence  these  two  planets  may  have 
exerted  in  past  ages,  and  no  one  a  whit  wiser. 

A  Lake  near   Mount  Kilmanjaro. 

"  We  were  now  in  a  place  where  it  was  next  to  im- 
possible to  get  about.  It  was  the  wildest  piece  of  lava 
country  I  ever  attempted  to  cross.  We  had  stumbled 
into  a  nest  of  small  extinct  craters,  between  which  the 
lava  had  been  tumultuously  heaved  and  tossed  about 
in  the  process  of  cooling.  Up  and  down  we  scrambled, 
wondering  as  we  reached  the  bottom  of  each  crater, 
what  new  revelations  of  ruggedness  would  be  presented. 
At  length  we  found  ourselves  standing  on  the  rim  of  ^ 


304 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


crater,  in  the  bottom  of  which  nestled  a  lovely  little 
lake,  fringed  with  Borassus  palms. 

''  After  some  search  we  found  a  pathway  down,  and 
formed  camp  on  the  margin  of  the  lake.  We  found  its 
waters  cool  and  marvelously  clear,  and  swarming  with 
fish  so  tame  that  they  could  almost  be  caught  by  the 
hand.  They  were  of  the  perch  family  with  greenish 
scales  on  back,  and  silver}^  belly,  the  largest  ones  caught 
weighing  eight  pounds.  We  distributed  fish-hooks  to 
the  men  as  far  as  we  had  them ;  the  others  made  rude 
hooks  of  bent  wire.  They  tied  these  to  pieces  of  string, 
baited  with  meat,  and  scattering  themselves  along  the 
shores,  with  this  rude  tackle,  wooed  the  finny  strangers 
so  successfully  that,  in  a  half-hour  after  forming  camp, 
they  must  have  caught  not  less  than  a  ton  of  fish,  or 
twenty  pounds  apiece.  In  a  little  while  our  camp  was 
like  a  fish-market — an  African  Billingsgate.  It  was 
the  biggest  bonanza  our  fish-loving  porters  had  struck 
for  many  a  day.  How  they  revelled  in  their  abundance 
Df  '  sumaki '  on  that  memorable  afternoon ! 

^'  But  the  most  interesting  discovery  of  all  was  yet 
to  be  made.  I  was  sitting  on  the  overhanging  branch 
of  a  tree  having  rare  sport  with  the  fish.  I  could  drop 
my  line  down  into  the  clear  depths  beneath  my  swing- 
ing feet,  and  see  every  motion  of  the  finny  beauties 
as  in  the  tank  of  an  aquarium.  The  rush  for  the  bait; 
the  consternation  of  the  successful  fellow  as  he  felt 
the  prick  of  the  hook  and  found  himself  a  captive; 
the  frantic  struggle,  the  strong  steady  pull  for  liberty 
as  I  paid  him  out  the  line;  the  bringing  him  gradually 
to  the  goal — all  was  visible  as  through  a  pane  of  glass. 

**  What  a  fisherman's  paradise — but  look  !  Heavens  ! 
what  is  that  monstrous  object,  walking  on  the  smooth 
gravelly  bottom,  twenty  feet  below  the  surface?  What 
is  it?  Almost  beneath  my  perch  a  huge,  flat-bodied, 
reddish-colored,  animal  strolled  leisurely  along  the  floor 
of  the  lake.  The  men  have  seen  it  too  and  excitedly 
shout,   *  Kiboko,   bwana,   kiboko  ! ' 

"Ah;  to  be  sure,  'Kiboko'  (a  hippopotamus),  what 
else  could  it  be;  yet  so  distorted  and  flattened  by  the 
water  as  to  present  a  truly  startling  appearance.  Later 
in  the  day  we  discovered  a  school  of  about  twenty  of 


CURIOUS  FACTS,  305 

these  hippo's,  of  which  we  shot  two,  and  experienced 
much  pleasure  in  watching  the  huge  amphibians  walk 
along  the  bottom  of  the  little  crater  lake,  now  and  then 
rising  to  the  surface  to  breathe.  Our  discovery  was  not 
important,  perhaps,  in  a  geographical  sense;  but  of  all 
the  marvelous  natural  phenomena  seen  by  the  writer, 
in  the  course  of  extensive  wanderings  in  four  conti- 
nents, commend  me  to  this  little  gem  of  a  crater  lake 
on  the  borders  of  Masai-land,  and  to  its  school  of  hip- 
popotami to  be  seen  strolling  about  at  the  bottom  of  its 
limpid  depths,  as  cows  in  a  meadow." — Thomas 
Stevens: 

Queer  Origins  of  Words. 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  is  equivalent  to  O  dio  mio,  *'  Oh,  my 
God!'\ 

**  Thimble "  is  "  thumb  bell  "  and  "  nostril ''  is 
strictly  a  "  nose  drill." 

"  Varlet "  is  the  same  word  as  ''  valet "  and  each  is 
an  offshoot  of  the  feudal  '*  vassal." 

"  Slav  "  is  not  the  slave  of  the  old  etymologists,  but 
in  reality  a  man  of  noble  lineage. 

"  Rotten  Row,"  the  famous  London  street,  recalls  la 
route  du  roi    (the  king's   passageway). 

"Dandelion"  is  dent  de  leon  (the  Hon's  tooth),  and 
"vinegar"  was  once  vin  aigre   (sour  wine). 

Madame  is  "  my  lady,"  and  sir  has  been  extracted 
from  the  Latin   ''  senior  "  through  the  French. 

"Biscuit"  keeps  alive  the  Latin  bis  coctus  (twice 
cooked)  and  a  "  verdict "  is  simply  a  vere  dictum  (true 
saying).  ^ 

Kings  in  the  earliest  days  were  merely  the  "  fathers 
of  families,"  and  the  word  is  derived  from  the  same 
source  as  "  kin." 

A  "  villain,"  before  the  stigma  of  disgrace  was  at- 
tached to  him,  was  a  laborer  on  the  villa  of  a  Roman 
country  gentleman. 

An  earl  was  an  "  elder "  in  the  primitive  society, 
while  pope  is  the  same  as  "  papa,"  and  czar  and  kaiser 
are  both  "  Csesars." 

Queen  at  first  meant  "wife  "  or  "  mother,"  and  a  sur- 
vival of  its  early  signification  exists  in  "  quean,"  used 
now  only  in  a  bad  sense. 


3o6  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Quelquechose  we  have  jumbled  into  *'  kickshaws,"  and 
our  "  gewgaws  "  represent  the  jouxjoux,  or  playthings 
of  former   French  children. 

'*  Jimminy  "  is  a  reminiscence  of  the  classical  adjura- 
tion, O  gemini,  used  by  the  Romans  when  they  called 
upon  the  twins  Castor  and  Pollux  to  help  them. 

Redingote  is  *'  riding  coat,"  borrowed  by  the  French 
from  our  language  and  returned  to  us  in  a  new  guise 
with    the   dressmaker's   stamp    of   approval. 

**  Huzzy "  was  once  a  respectable  housewife ;  a 
*'  knave "  was  simply  a  boy,  the  German  knabe  of  to- 
day, and  a  ''  caitiff "  was  in  the  first  place  merely  a 
captive. 

Similarly  ''  slop  "  shop  has  nothing  to  do  with  slops, 
as  some  amateur  etymologists  have  asserted,  but  means 
clothing  shop,  the  word  coming  from  the  Icelandic 
slopper,  a  coat. 

"  Roamers  "  are  people  who  go  to  Rome  to  see  the 
pope,  and  "  saunterers "  was  the  appellation  bestowed 
on  the  religious  enthusiasts  who  made  the  pilgrimage  to 
the   sainte   terre — the   Holy   Land. 

Lord  is  the  Anglo-Saxon  hlaford  (loaf  distributor). 
The  Latin  term  for  '*  lord "  (dominus)  has  given  us 
"  domine,"  the  old  term  for  preacher,  and  the  same 
root  is  found  in  *'  dame "  and  "  tame." 

A  "country"  dance  is  a  contra  (opposite)  dance, 
and  the  frequently  mistaken  etymology  of  this  word 
calls  to  mind  the  fact  that  a  "  tuberose  "  has  nothing 
of  the  rose  about  it,  being  simply  a  tuberous  plant. 

When  a  man  says  he  does  not  care  a  ''  curse "  he 
means  that  he  does  not  care  a  cress,  the  lingual  meta- 
thesis here  being  similar  to  that  which  makes  ''  goose- 
berries "  out  of  gorseberries,  "  axe "  out  of  ask,  and 
"  wapse  "  out  of  wasp. 

Indexing   Extraordinary. 

A  work  on  the  "  Origin  of  the  Fluman  Reason,"  by 
St.  George  Mivart,  has  been  subjected  to  some  very 
absurd  indexing.  The  London  Daily  News  gives  a 
sample  as  follows: 

Mr.  Mivart  had  referred  on  page  136  of  his  book  to 
some   articulate   utterances   of  a   certain   parrot   which 


"'  CURIOUS  FACTS  '^67 

sounded  remarkably  like  replies  to  questions.  This 
anecdote  gives  the  indexer  his  great  opportunity.  He 
indexes  this  twice  under  A,  and  thereafter  under 
twelve  other  letters  with  variations  of  perfectly  fascin- 
ating ingenuity  thus: 

Absurd  tale  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Anecdote,  absurd  one,  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Bathos  and  a  cockatoo,   136. 

Cockatoo,  absurd  tale  concerning  one,  136. 

Discourse  held  with  a  cockatoo,   136. 

Incredibly  absurd  tale  of  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Invalid  cockatoo,  absurd  tale  about,   136. 

Mr.  R and  tale  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Preposterous  tale  about  a  cockatoo,   136. 

Questions   answered   by   a   cockatoo,    136. 

R ,  Mr.,  and  tale  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Rational  cockatoo  as  asserted,  136. 

Tale  about  a  rational  cockatoo,  as  asserted,  136. 

Very  absurd  tale  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

Wonderfully  foolish  tale  about  a  cockatoo,  136. 

This  is  all  the  more  astonishing  as  the  book  is  a 
very  dull  one. 

Our  Tell  Tale  Eyes. 

Black  (dark  brown)  are  a  sign  of  passionate  ardor 
in  love. 

Dark  blue,  or  violet,  denote  great  affection  and  purity, 
but  not  much  intellectuality. 

Clear,  light  blue,  with  calm,  steadfast  glance,  denote 
cheerfulness,  good  temper,  constancy. 

Pale  blue,  or  steel  colored,  with  shifting  motion  of 
eyelids  and  pupils,  denote  deceitfulness  and  selfishness. 

Russet  brown  without  yellow  denote  an  affectionate 
disposition,  sweet  and  gentle.  The  darker  the  brown, 
the  more  ardent  the  passion. 

Blue,  with  greenish  tints,  are  not  so  strongly  indi- 
cative of  these  traits,  but  a  slight  propensity  to  greenish 
tints  in  eyes  of  any  color  is  a  sign  of  wisdom  and 
courage. 

Grey,  or  greenish  grey,  with  orange  and  blue  shades 
and  ever  varying  tints,  are  the  most  intellectual,  and 
are  indicative  of  the  impulsive,  impressionable  tempera- 


3o8  CURIOUS^FACTS 

ment — the  mixture  of  the  sanguine  and  bilious,  which 
produces  poetic  and  artistic  natures. 

Light  brown  or  yellow  denote  inconstancy;  green, 
deceit  or  coquetry.  Eyes  of  no  particular  color  (only 
some  feeble  shades  of  blue  or  grey,  dull,  expression- 
less, dead  looking),  belong  to  the  lymphatic  tempera- 
ment, and  denote  a  listless,  feeble  disposition,  and  a 
cold,  selfish  nature. 

Big  Results  from  Small  Hints. 

Mezzotinto  owed  its  invention  to  the  simple  accident 
of  the  gun  barrel  of  a  sentry  becoming  rusted  with 
dew. 

The  swaying  to  and  fro  of  a  chandelier  in  a  cathedral 
suggested  to  Galileo  the  application  of  the  pendulum. 

An  alchemist,  while  seeking  to  discover  a  mixture  of 
earths  that  would  make  the  most  durable  crucibles,  one 
day  found  that  he  had  made  porcelain. 

A  watchmaker's  apprentice  discovered  the  power  of 
lenses,  as  applied  to  the  telescope.  While  holding 
spectacle  glasses  between  his  thumb  and  finger,  he  was 
startled  at  the  suddenly  enlarged  appearance  of  a  neigh- 
boring church   spire. 

The  process  of  whitening  sugar  was  discovered  in  a 
curious  way.  A  hen  that  had  gone  through  a  clay 
puddle  went  with  her  muddy  feet  into  a  sugar  house. 
She  left  her  tracks  on  a  pile  of  sugar.  It  was  noticed 
that  wherever  her  tracks  were  the  sugar  was  whitened. 
Experiments  were  instituted,  and  the  result  was  that 
wet  clay  came  to  be  used  in  refining  sugar. 

The  composition  of  which  printing  rollers  are  made 
was  discovered  by  a  Salopian  printer.  Not  being  able 
to  find  the  pelt  ball,  he  inked  the  type  with  a  piece  of 
soft  glue,  which  had  fallen  out  of  a  glue  pot.  It  was 
such  an  excellent  substitute  that,  after  mixing  molasses 
with  the  glue,  to  give  the  mass  proper  consistency,  the 
old  pelt  ball  was  entirely  discarded. 

The  art  of  etching  upon  glass  was  discovered  by  a 
Nuremberg  glass  cutter.  By  accident  a  few  drops  of 
aqua  fortis  fell  upon  his  spectacles.  He  noticed  that 
the  glass  became  corroded  and  softened  where  the 
acid  had  touched  it.     He  drew  figures  upon  glass  with 


CURIOUS  FACTS  309 

the  varnish,  applied  the  corroding  fluid,  and  then  cut 
away  the  glass  around  the  drawing.  When  the  varnish 
was  removed  the  figure  appeared  raised  from  a  dark 
ground. 

Englisli  and  Mahomedan  Marriage  Laws. 

I  must  say  that  I  think  that  the  Mahomedan  law  con- 
cerning marriage  and  the  rights  of  women  is  more  rea- 
sonable than  the  English  law.  Marriage,  according  to 
English  law,  is  indissoluble,  unless  there  be  exposed  in 
open  court  a  scandal  of  such  a  nature  as  to  ruin  the 
husband  or  wife  for  life  in  public  estimation.  There 
is  no  sound  reason  why  the  parties  to  a  contract  should 
not  be  allowed  to  agree  to  break  it.  The  common  tie 
of  affection  in  children,  and  the  long  habit  of  living 
together,  which  in  itself  is  sufficient  to  produce  affec- 
tion, is  a  sufficient  check  on  any  frequent  resort  to 
divorce  when  the  woman  has  passed  the  best  years  of 
her  life  and  could  not  easily  find  a  new  home.  The 
best  proof  of  this  is  that  the  Mahomedan  law  sanctions 
such  divorce,  yet  it  happens  in  very  rare  cases.  Mar- 
riage is  dissoluble  by  the  Mahomedan  law,  if  both  the 
parties  agree,  but  the  natural  check  has  been  supple- 
mented by  a  reasonable  artificial  one,  that  is,  if  the 
proposal  for  divorce  emanate  from  the  husband,  he  has 
to  pay  the  wife  her  "  Mahir  " — a  sum  of  money  fixed  at 
the  time  of  marriage,  and  sufficient  to  protect  her  from 
penury  in  case  of  divorce.  If  the  proposal  emanate 
from  the  wife  she  must  forego  her  ''  Mahir."  Again, 
by  the  Mahomedan  law,  the  wife  is  absolute  owner  of 
her  own  property,  she  can  enter  into  contracts  and  buy 
and  sell  on  her  own  account.  The  law  of  England  is 
not  so  liberal. — From  the  ''  Diary  of  Nawab  Mehdi 
Hassan,  Chief  Justice  of  Hyderabad." 

Lost    Peruvian    Arts. 

"  Copper  was  most  extensively  used  in  ornamenting 
the  person  and  for  household  utensils,  but  its  principal 
use  was  for  battle  axes,  idols  and  tools.  I  found  a 
copper  chisel  in  a  mound  near  Callao  which  proved  to 
be  tempered  Co  the  hardness  of  steel.    It  was  tested  on 


310  CURIOUS  FACTS 

a  railroad  rail  of  iron  and  could  have  cut  it  in  two.  The 
tempering  of  copper  is  a  lost  art,  however,  and  was 
known  to  the  Incas  only.  Humboldt  analyzed  one  of 
these  chisels  and  found  it  to  contain  94  per  cent  copper 
and  6  per  cent,  silica.  Despite  the  discovery  of  these 
component  parts  all  experiments  have  failed  to  repro- 
duce a  similar  hardness.  It  is  strange  that  the  Incas 
knew  nothing  of  iron,  as  it  abounds  all  over  Peru.  Glass 
was  likewise  unknown  to  them.  They  used  quartz 
crystal  in  surgery,  as  the  trephined  skulls  I  have  found 
showed  traces  of  that  material.  They  made  looking 
glasses  by  polishing  stone  containing  pyrites  of  iron. 
Lead  was  used  for  sinkers  on  their  fish  nets  and  for 
personal  adornment.  Their  cloths,  made  of  vicuna 
wool  (an  animal  of  the  llama  family  running  wild  and 
hunted),  is  exquisitely  fine  and  of  a  yellow  color.  Their 
prints  represented  animals  and  everything  pertaining  to 
nature.  In  the  graves  I  found  also  the  mummies  of 
children,  birds,  weasels,  rats,  llamas  and  the  dog  orig- 
inal with  the  Incas.  The  children  and  animals  bore 
evidence  of  having  been  buried  alive." 

Mr.  Kiefer  told  me  he  had  dug  up  2,000  graves  and 
handled  5,000  skulls.  Everything  he  found  had  been 
buried  at  least  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  years,  but 
exactly  how  long  no  one  could  tell. — New  York  Herald. 

Origin  of  Mathematical  Signs. 

The  radical  sign  was  derived  from  the  initial  letter 
of  the  word  "  radix." 

The  sign  of  equality  was  first  used  in  1557  by  a  sharp 
mathematician,  who  substituted  it  to  avoid  repeating 
"equal  to." 

The  multiplication  sign  was  obtained  by  changing  the 
plus  sign  into  the  letter  X.  This  was  done  because  mul- 
tiplication is  but  a  shorter  form  of  addition. 

Division  was  formerly  indicated  by  placing  the  divi- 
dend above  a  horizontal  line  and  the  divisor  below.  In 
order  to  save  space  in  printing  the  dividend  was  placed 
to  the  left  and  the  divisor  to  the  right,  with  a  simple 
dot  in  place  of  each. 

The  sign  of  subtraction  was  derived  from  the  word 
*'  minus."     The  word  was  first  contracted  into  m  n  s, 


CURIOUS  FACTS  311 

with  a  horizontal  line  above  to  indicate  the  contraction, 
then  at  last  the  letters  were  omitted  altogether,  leaving 
the  short  line  — . 

The  sign  of  addition  is  derived  from  the  initial  letter 
of  the  word  "  plus."  In  making  the  capital  letter  it 
was  made  more  and  more  carelessly  until  the  top  part 
of  the  p  was  placed  near  the  centre,  hence  the  plus  sign 
was  finally  reached. 

A  Singular  Canal. 

The  most  remarkable  canal  in  the  world  is  the  one 
between  Worsley  and  St.  Helen's  in  the  north  of  Eng- 
land. It  is  sixteen  miles  long  and  underground  from 
end  to  end.  In  Lancashire  the  coal  mines  are  very 
extensive,  half  the  country  being  undermined,  and  many 
years  ago  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater's  managers  thought 
they  could  save  money  by  transporting  the  coal  under- 
ground instead  of  on  the  surface.  So  the  canal  was 
constructed  and  the  mines  connected  and  drained  at  the 
same  time.  Ordinary  canal  boats  are  used,  but  the 
power  is  furnished  by  men.  On  the  roof  of  the  tunnel 
arch  are  cross  pieces,  and  the  men  who  do  the  work 
of  propulsion  lie  on  their  backs  on  the  coal  and  push 
with  their  feet  against  the  cross  bars  on  the  roof. 

Paths  of  Tornadoes. 

Professor  J.  P.  Finlay  gives  the  width  of  the  path 
of  destruction  in  tornadoes,  as  determined  from  the 
records  of  eighty-eight  years,  at  from  10  to  10,560  feet, 
the  average  being  1369  ifeet.  The  length  of  the  tornado 
varies  from  300  yards  to  about  200  miles,  the  average 
being  24.79  miles.  The  velocity  of  progression  of  the 
tornado  cloud  varies  from  7  to  100  miles  an  hour,  the 
average  being  44.11  miles.  These  extremes  may  often 
occur  in  different  portions  of  the  track  of  a  single 
tornado.  The  shortest  time  occupied  by  the  tornado 
cloud  in  passing  a  given  point  varies  from  "  an  instant " 
to  about  twenty  minutes,  the  average  being  seventy-four 
seconds. 

Amen. 

What  does  the  word  "amen"  signify?  It  is  a  He- 
brew word  signifying  "  yes,"  "  truly."    In  Jewish  syna- 


312  CURIOUS  FACTS 

gogues  the  amen  is  pronounced  by  the  congregation  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  benediction.  Among  the  early- 
Christians  the  prayer  offered  by  the  presbyter  was  con- 
cluded by  the  word  amen,  uttered  by  the  congregation. 
Justin  Martyr  is  the  earliest  of  the  fathers  who  alludes 
to  the  use  of  the  response?  According  to  Tertullian, 
none  but  the  faithful  were  permitted  to  join  in  the  re- 
sponse. A  somewhat  noisy  and  irreverent  practice  pre- 
vailed in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper  until  the 
sixth  century,  after  which  it  was  discontinued.  ''  Upon 
the  reception  both  of  the  bread  and  of  the  wine,  each 
person  uttered  a  loud  '  amen ;  '  and  at  the  close  of 
the  consecration  by  the  priest,  all  joined  in  shouting  a 
loud  '  amen.' "  The  same  custom  was  observed  at 
baptism,  when  the  sponsors  and  witnesses  responded 
vehemently.  In  the  Greek  church  the  amen  was  pro- 
nounced after  the  name  of  each  person  of  the  Trinity; 
and  at  the  close  of  the  baptismal  formula  the  people 
responded.  At  the  conclusion  of  prayer  it  signifies 
(according  to  the  English  Church  catechism)  so  be  it; 
after  the  repetition  of  the  creed,  so  it  is. 

How   Some   Animals   Eat. 

The  sturgeon  is  toothless  and  draws  in  its  food  by 
suction. 

Spiders  chew  their  food  with  horny  jaws,  which  are 
sharp  enough  to  give  quite  a  nip. 

The  jelly  fish  absorbs  its  food  by  wrapping  itself 
around  the  object  which  it  seeks  to  make  its  own. 

The  tapeworm  has  neither  mouth  nor  stomach,  but 
just  lays  along  and  absorbs  the  already  digested  food 
through  its  skin. 

The  butterfly  pumps  nectar  into  itself  through  a  tube, 
and  bees  and  flies  suck  up  their  food  with  a  long  tongue 
or  proboscis. 

The  woodpecker  has  a  three  barbed  tongue '  like  a 
Fijian's  spear,  with  which  it  draws  out  the  worm  which 
it   has  excited  by  its  tapping. 

The  starfish  fastens  itself  to  the  body  it  wishes  to 
feed  on,  turns  its  stomach  inside  out,  and  enwraps  its 
prey  with  this  useful  organ. 

The  cuttlefish,  which  among  other  strange  things  al- 


CURIOUS  FACTS  313 

ways  walks  with  its  head  downward,  does  not  chew  its 
food  at  all,  but  masticates  with  its  gizzard. 

Lobsters  masticate  their  food  with  their  horny  jaws, 
but  they  have  also  sets  of  teeth  in  their  stomachs,  where 
they  complete  the  work  of  chewing. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  with  two  saw-edged  jaws,  work- 
ing transversely,  and  uses  them  to  such  good  advantage 
that  he  eats  three  or  four  times  his  own  weight  every 
day. 

The  king  or  horseshoe  crab  chews  its  food  v/ith  its 
legs.  This  is  an  actual  fact,  the  little  animal  grinding 
its  morsels  between  its  thighs  before  it  passes  them 
over  to  its  mouth. 

The  sea  urchin  has  five  teeth  in  five  jaws — one  in 
each  jaw — all  the  five  immediately  surrounding  the 
stomach.  The  jaws  have  a  peculiar  centralized  motion, 
all  turning  inward  and  downward,  so  that  they  also  act 
as  feeders. 

The  carp's  teeth  are  set  back  on  the  pharynx,  so  that 
it  may  be  literally  said  to  masticate  its  food  in  its  throat. 
The  carp,  too,  is  about  the  only  cud-chewing  fish,  the 
coarsely  swallowed  food  being  forced  up  to  these  throat 
teeth   for  complete  mastication. 

The  ray,  or  skate,  has  a  mouth  set  transversely  across 
its  head,  the  jaws  working  with  a  rolling  motion  like  two 
hands  set  back  to  back.  In  the  jaws  are  three  rows  of 
flat  teeth  set  like  a  mosaic  pavement,  and  between  these 
rolling  jaws  the  fish  crushes  oysters  and  other  mollusks 
like  so  many  nuts. 

The  Races  of  IVLankiiid. 

M.  de  Quatrefages,  the  leading  French  ethnologist, 
in  presenting  the  second  part  of  his  "  Introduction  to 
the  Study  of  the  Human  Races "  to  the  Academy  of 
Sciences,  has  given  an  interesting  summary  of  his  gen- 
eral conclusions  with  regard  to  the  origin  and  distri- 
bution of  mankind.  Neglecting  the  minor  differences, 
he  estimates  that  there  are  no  fewer  than  seventy-two 
distinct  races  in  the  human  species.  All  these  descend 
or  branch  off  from  three  fundamental  types — the  black, 
the  yellow,  and  the  white — which  had  their  origin  at 
the  great  central  mass  of  northern  Asia,  which  is  thus 


314 


CURIOUS  FACTS. 


the  cradle  of  mankind.  Representatives  of  these  dif- 
ferent types  and  the  races  which  sprung  from  them  are 
still  to  be  found  there.  The  whites,  according  to  M.  de 
Quatrefages,  appear  to  have  originated  on  the  west  of 
the  central  mass,  the  yellow  on  the  north,  and  the  blacks 
on  the  south.  The  whites  extended  westward  and  north- 
ward, giving  birth  to  three  secondary  types,  the  Finnish, 
the  Semitic,  and  the  Aryan,  if  we  except  the  Allophyles, 
which  form  a  separate  group. 

The  area  of  distribution  is  continuous,  as  is  that  of 
the  yellows,  because  of  the  extensive  land  surface  of  the 
Eurasian  continent.  The  yellows  spread  eastward  and 
crossed  into  America.  The  whites  or  yellows  checked 
and  blended  with  each  other,  producing  many  varieties 
of  men.  The  blacks,  or  negro  type,  which  originated 
on  the  south  of  the  central  mass,  were  forced  by  the 
nature  of  the  continent,  and  probably  by  the  attacks  of 
the  whites  and  yellows,  to  go  south  into  Africa  and  east 
into  the  Indian  Archipelago  or  Melanesia. — London 
Times. 

Who  can  Read  Franklin's  Cipher? 

Benjamin  Franklin  wrote  from  Passy,  in  1781,  a  letter 
to  M.  Dumas.  He  said: — "I  have  just  received  a  14, 
5,  3,  10,  28,  2,  76,  203,  66,  II,  12,  272,  50,  14,  joining 
76,  5,  42,  45,  16,  15,  424.  235,  19,  20,  69,  580,  II,  150, 
27,  56,  35,  104,  652,  20,  675,  85,  79,  50.  63,  44,  22,  219, 
17,  60,  29,  147,  136,  41,  but  this  is  not  likely  to  afford 
202,  55,  580,  10,  227,  613,  176,  373.  309,  4,  108,  40,  19, 
97,  309,  17,  35,  90,  201,  100,  677."  This  has  never  been 
deciphered.  The  state  department  at  Washington  has 
no  key  to  it.  I  submit  it  for  the  consideration  of  the 
whole  world. — Elliott  Sandford  in  New  York  World. 

A  Tiny  Volume. 

The  smallest  book  ever  printed  since  type  was  in- 
vented is,  perhaps,  the  microscopic  edition  of  Dante's 
''  Divine  Comedy,"  which  was  exhibited  at  the  Paris 
exposition  of  1882.  The  volume  of  500  pages  was  some- 
what less  than  half-an-inch  square.  Two  sheets  of  paper 
sufficed  to  contain  all  the  14,323  verses.  The  type  in 
this  little  book  was  cast  in  1834,  but  no  complete  book 


CURIOUS  FACTS  313 

had  hitherto  been  turned  out,  the  difficulties  for  com- 
positors and  revisers  being  so  arduous  that  no  one 
would  continue  the  work  for  any  length  of  time. 

Origin  of  Hackney  Coachstands,  1634. 

"  I  cannot  omit  to  mention  any  new  thing  that  comes 
up  amongst  us,  tho'  never  so  trivial :  Here  is  one  Cap- 
tain Baily;  he  hath  been  a  sea  captain,  but  now  lives 
upon  the  land,  about  this  city,  v/here  he  tries  experi- 
ments. He  hath  erected  according  to  his  ability  some 
four  hackney  coaches,  put  his  men  in  a  livery,  and  ap- 
pointed them  to  stand  at  the  Ma3^-Pole  in  the  Strand, 
giving  them  instruction  at  what  rates  to  carry  men  into 
several  parts  of  the  town,  where  all  day  they  may  be 
had.  Other  hackneymen  seeing  this  way,  they  flocked 
to  the  same  place,  and  perform  their  journeys  at  the 
same  rate ;  so  that  sometimes  there  is  twenty  of  them 
together,  which  disperse  up  and  down,  that  they  and 
others  are  to  be  had  everywhere  as  watermen  are  to 
be  had  by  the  waterside.  Everybody  is  much  pleased 
with  it,  for,  whereas  before,  coaches  could  not  be  had 
but  at  great  rates,  now  a  man  may  have  one  much 
cheaper." — "  Strafford's  Letters  and  Despatches,"  vol. 
i,  p.  227. 

The  letter  from  which  the  above  abstract  is  made,  is 
dated  April  ist,  1634. 

The  First  London  'Bus. 

It  was  in  1829  that  the  enterprising  undertaker 
(Shillibeer)  sent  out  the  first  London  'bus,  which,  ac- 
cording to  a  now  defunct  Dublin  newspaper,  Saunders' 
Newsletter,  "  excited  considerable  notice,  from  the  novel 
form  of  the  carriage  and  the  elegant  manner  in  which 
it  is  fitted  out.  We  apprehend  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  make  it  overturn,  owing  to  the  great  width. 
It  is  drawn  by  three  beautiful  bays  abreast,  after  the 
French  fashion.  It  is  a  handsome  machine."  It  then 
describes  how  "  the  new  vehicle,  called  the  omnibus, 
commenced  running  this  morning  from  Paddington  to 
the  City."  It  started  from  the  Yorkshire  Stingo,  and 
carried  22  passengers  inside  at  a  charge  of  a  shilling 


3i6 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


or  sixpence  according  to  distance.  To  carry  ii  pas- 
sengers on  each  side  it  must  have  been  nearly  double  the 
length  of  the  present  form  of  vehicle,  and  of  the  size 
and  appearance  of  one  of  the  large  three-horse  Metrop- 
olitan Railway  'buses.  An  odd  feature  of  the  arrange- 
ment was  that  the  day's  newspaper  was  supplied  for  the 
convenience  of  the  passengers !  There  must  have  been 
some  fixed  limit  for  the  time  of  perusal,  otherwise  the 
gentleman  who  had  it  "  in  hand  "  might  have  continued 
his  studies  during  the  whole  journey. — Cornhill  Maga- 
zine. 

Some  Noted  Dunces. 

ilsaa'c  Newton  gravitated  in  his  school  days  always 
toward  the  bottom  of  his  class. 

Dr.  Chalmers  was  expelled  from  the  parish  school 
of  Anstruther  as  a  dunce  for  whom  there  was  no  hope. 

Adam  Clark,  who  rose  to  be  one  of  the  most  famous 
Methodist  ministers,  was  pronounced  by  his  father  "  a 
grievous   dunce." 

Sir  David  Wilkie,  when  at  school,  was  one  of  the 
idlest  and  most  eccentric  of  boys.  He  himself  declares 
that  he  could  draw  before  he  could  read,  and  paint  be- 
fore he  could  spell. 

Charles  J.  Mathew\s,  the  distinguished  actor,  while  re- 
lating the  story  of  his  life,  tells  of  his  education  at 
Merchant  Taylors'  School.  "  I  was  a  dunce,"  he  says ; 
"  it  is  a  fact ;  there  is  no  disguising  the  truth." 

Henry  Ward  Beecher,  as  we  learn  from  his  biography, 
was  a  dull  boy.  On  Sunday  it  was  usual  in  his  father's 
family  for  the  children  to  learn  the  catechism,  but  at 
this  exercise  Henry  always  broke  down. 
^  Walter  Scott,  while  at  Edinburgh  University,  gave 
little  evidence  of  that  genius  which  was  to  make  him 
famous.  "  Dunce  he  is,  and  dunce  he  will  remain," 
said  Professor  Dalzell  of  him  who  became  the  most 
distinguished   of  his   students. 

Charles  Darwin,  in  his  autobiography,  tells  us  that 
he  "  had  much  zeal  for  subjects  which  interested  him," 
which  possibly  could  be  said  for  the  dullest  boy  that 
ever  vexed  a  teacher's  heart.     It  was    the    collective 


CURIOUS  FACTS  317 

opinion  of  Darwin's  masters  that  a  duller  boy  had  never 
been  within  the  school  walls. 

Robert  Chambers,  whose  name  will  ever  be  held  in 
esteem  as  a  pioneer  of  cheap  literature,  for  six  weeks 
filled  a  situation  in  Mitchell  Street,  Leith.  ''  From  that 
place,"  he  says,  "  I  was  discharged  for  no  other  reason 
that  I  can  think  of  but  that  my  employer  thought  me 
too  stupid  to  be  likely  ever  to  do  him  any  good." 

Dr.  Samuel  Smiles,  in  his  life  of  George  Moore,  tells 
us  that  at  school  the  great  philanthropist  was  considered 
dull.  He  was  much  fonder  of  bathing  than  of  reading. 
Mr.  Fisher,  one  of  Moore's  first  employers,  said  he  had 
had  many  a  stupid  blockhead  from  Cumberland,  but 
George  Moore  was  the  greatest  blockhead  of  them  all. 

Mr.  Haggard  was  a  pupil  of  Ipswich  School,  and  as 
a  boy  he  is  described  as  a  tall,  lank  youth,  with  a  thick 
crop  of  unkempt  hair,  sharp  features,  prominent  nose, 
and  eyes  which  had  rather  a  wild  look  about  them. 
In  his  classes  he  never  took  a  high  place,  and  both  his 
schoolmates  and  his  masters  looked  on  him  as  a  rather 
stupid  joy. 

A  Strange  Country. 

Australia  is  a  country  in  which  nature  has  established 
conditions  unknown  elsewhere,  and  where  civilization 
must  adapt  itself  to  surroundings  which  it  finds  novel 
and  strange.  It  is  a  country  full  of  absurdities  in  ani- 
mal, vegetable,  and  human  life.  Its  native  race,  in  point 
of  intelligence  and  development  of  resources,  is  far 
below  even  the  cave  dwellers  and  the  people  of  the  stone 
age  of  Europe.  Its  animals  perpetuate  types  which  dis- 
appeared from  every  other  part  of  the  globe  some  mil- 
lions of  years  ago.  Its  trees  and  plants  are  representa- 
tive of  species  found  elsewhere  only  in  chalk  and  coal 
measures. 

Hardly  anything  hei:e  has  the  character  and  quality 
of  its  relations  in  other  lands.  Although  the  trees  and 
flowers  are  chiefly  those  of  the  temperate  zone,  the  birds 
are,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  tropics  and  flash  the 
gorgeous  colors  of  the  parrot  and  the  cockatoo  through 
the  dull  foliage  of  the  sad  toned  eucalyptus.    The  birds 


3i8 


CURIOUS  FACTS 


have  no  song,  and  such  notes  as  they  possess  seem 
like  weird  echoes  from  a  period  when  reptiles  were  as- 
suming wings  and  filling  the  tree  tops  with  a  strange 
jargon,  before  heard  only  in  the  swamps  and  fens.  The 
flowers  have  no  scent,  while  the  leaves  of  every  tree  are 
full  of  odor.  The  trees  cast  no  shade,  since  every  leaf 
is  set  at  edge  against  the  sun,  and  shed,  not  their  leaves, 
but  their  bark,  which,  stripping  off  in  long  scales,  ex- 
poses the  naked  wood  beneath,  and  adds  to  the  ghostly 
effect  which  the  forest  already  holds  in  the  pallid  hues 
of  its  foliage. — Boston  Journal. 

Will  We  Lose  Our  Teeth? 

It  will  be  a  great  thing  to  be  a  dentist  about  the  year 
3000  A.  D.  The  scientists  tell  us  that  as  man  becomes 
more  human  he  will  lose  his  beastly  adornments.  First, 
the  hair,  next  the  eyesight  and  sense  of  smell,  and,  ac- 
cording to  Professor  Cope,  at  last  he  will  become  en- 
tirely toothless.  Cooked  food  is  said  to  be  the  cause 
of  the  jaw  becoming  weaker  and  smaller  each  genera- 
tion. There  is  now  no  room  left  for  the  wisdom  teeth, 
or  the  upper  incisors;  the  wisdom  teeth  are  retarded, 
often  cause  great  pain  and  decay  early.  The  second 
incisors  put  out  at  the  sides  of  the  gums,  causing 
"  tusks." 

The  same  suppression  has  been  observed  in  the  outer 
pair  of  superior  incisors.  This  is  owing  not  only  to  a 
reduction  in  the  size  of  the  jaw,  but  to  prolonged  delay 
in  the  appearance  of  the  teeth.  In  the  same  way  men 
and  the  man-like  apes  have  fewer  teeth  than  the  lower 
monkey.  When  this  difference  in  dentition  has  been 
established,  man  may  claim  to  be  a  new  species  apart 
from  low  savages  as  well  as  from  high  apes. — St.  Louis 
Republic. 

Race  Track  Superstitions. 

Of  all  tips  that  which  is  known  at  the  track  as  the 
nigger  tip  is  the  best. 

The  man  who  having  bet  detects  himself  singing  be- 
fore a  race  is  doomed  to  lose.  His  only  safeguard  is 
hedging. 

Money  carried  for  three  days  in  a  man's  shoe  or  a 


CURIOUS  FACTS  319 

woman's  stocking  is  invested  with  absolute  confidence 
in  its  winning  powers. 

Some  men  never  back  a  horse  except  at  odds  of  six 
to  five  or  nine  to  five.  They  assert  that  they  always 
win  at  those  prices  and  lose  at  others. 

Few  betting  men  have  the  courage  to  wager  their 
money  after  having  seen  a  cross-eyed  person.  Such  an 
occurrence  is  a  hoodoo  of  the  worst  sort. 

The  appearance  of  a  gray  horse  never  fails  to  cause 
anxious  search  for  the  red  haired  girl.  The  combina- 
tion will  always  be   regarded  as  invincible. 

When  an  accident  occurs  at  the  starting  post,  and  a 
jockey  finds  it  necessary  to  dismount,  there  is  a  great 
scramble  among  the  superstitious  to  bet  on  his   horse. 

Many  persons  have  an  odd  fancy  for  backing  horses 
according  to  certain  numbers  on  the  program,  but  the 
reasoning  and  deductions  of  no  two  men  are  the  same. 

Sticking  a  pin  through  the  program  from  back  to 
front  is  a  popular  method  of  picking  winners,  and  it 
is  about  as  good  a  way  as  any  in  these  degenerate  times. 

Personal  contact  with  a  hunchback  brings  good  luck. 
Women  have  been  seen  to  leave  their  seats  in  the  grand 
stand  and  rush  down  to  the  lawn  for  the  purpose  of 
touching  a  hump  on  a  dwarf's  back. 

Women  who  bet  have  their  favorite  messenger  boys 
and  will  allow  no  others  to  place  their  commissions. 
"Oh,  where  is  my  lucky  boy?"  is  the  anxious  inquiry 
that  is  heard  over  and  over  again.  If  the  lucky  boy 
fails  to  turn  up  there  is  no  bet. 

A  speculator  in  doubt  resorts  to  innumerable  devices 
in  his  search  for  tips.  If  only  two  horses  go  to  the 
post  he  probably  flips  a  dime,  heads  for  one,  tails  for 
the  other,  to  decide  which  is  the  winner.  If  there  are 
ten  starters  he  writes  their  respective  numbers  on  small 
bits  of  paper,  shakes  them  in  his  two  hands,  presses 
the  palms  close  together,  opens  them  and  blows  the 
numbers  away.  The  last  one  to  leave  his  hand  is  the 
winner. — Horse  and  Stable. 

The  "World's  Most  Powerful  Tribunal. 

The  highest  court  of  the  United  States  holds  a  unique 
place  in  our  form  of  government,  and  one  not  found 


320  CURIOUS  FACTS 

in  any  other  governmental  system.  It  wields  a  power 
greater  than  is  exercised  by  any  other  judicial  tribunal 
in  the  world.  In  no  country  of  Europe  or  the  east  has 
any  court  authority  to  make  or  unmake  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land,  to  limit  the  prerogatives  of  the 
sovereign,  to  control  the  powers  of  the  legislature,  to 
shape  the  form  of  government. 

These  functions  are  exercised  by  the  supreme  court 
of  the  United  States.  It  holds  a  power  above  that  of 
the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation,  superior  to  that  of 
congress,  higher  than  that  of  any  state,  and  equalled 
only  by  that  which  made  or  can  amend  the  constitu- 
tion. It  can  enlarge  or  limit  the  prerogatives  of  the 
president  or  the  powers  of  congress.  It  can  change  the 
relations  between  the  state  and  the  nation.  It  can  ex- 
tend or  restrict  either  the  central  power  or  state  sov- 
ereignty. In  short,  it  can  make  or  unmake  the  con- 
stitutional law  of  the  country.  It  can  introduce  radical 
changes  into  our  form  of  government.  Not  only  can 
the  supreme  court  wield  these  vast  powers,  it  has  long 
done  so,  and  may  long  continue  to  do  so. — Eaton  S. 
Drone  in  Forum. 

Proving  their  Sanity. 

According  to  a  somewhat  dubious  tradition,  the  Greek 
dramatist,  Sophocles,  at  the  age  of  ninety,  was  accused 
of  imbecility  by  his  son  Jophon.  He  rebutted  the 
calumny  by  reciting  before  his  judges,  the  Phratores, 
the  magnificent  passage  in  his  tragedy  of  CEdipus  Colo- 
neus,  which  describes  the  arrival  of  CEdipus  in  the 
sacred  forest  of  Colonna.  Having  thus  vindicated  his 
genius,  he  retired  amid  applause.  In  the  seventeenth 
century,  says  Lelanne,  the  Abbe  Cotin,  having  sold  his 
property  in  return  for  a  life  annuity,  was  denounced 
by  his  relatives  as  out  of  his  mind.  In  self-defence  the 
Abbe  invited  the  commissioners  de  lunatico  inquirendo 
to  come  and  hear  him  preach.  They  went,  they  listened, 
and  decided  in  his  favor. — All  the  Year  Round. 

What  is  Beauty  P 

A  beautiful  face,  according  to  Rogers,  was  one  that 
was  arch  and  full  of  mirth. 


CURIOUS  FACTS  32I 

Byron's  beauty,  the  stock-in-trade  beauty  of  his  time 
and  school,  had  glossy  hair  clustering  over  a  bright, 
smooth  brow,  eyebrows  like  aerial  bows,  glowing  cheeks 
and  constant  blushes — a  sort  of  beautiful  milk  maid,  of 
whom  one  would  tire  in  a  week. 

Spenser  is  very  explicit  in  his  likes.  His  love,  he 
said,  ought  to  have  eyes  like  sapphires,  teeth  like  pearls, 
a  forehead  like  ivory — this  was  before  the  advent  of  the 
Russian  bang — hair  like  gold,  and  hands  of  silvery 
whiteness. 

Shakespeare's  beauties,  it  will  be  observed,  always  had 
very  white  skin.  Give  him  a  snow-white  skin,  smooth 
and  alabaster-like  skin,  and  he  seemed  to  care  for  little 
else ;  yet  the  chances  are  that  Miss  Hathaway  was 
freckled  every  summer. 

Scott's  heroines,  who  presumably  represented  his  ideal, 
were  all  of  the  Byronic  ''  Souvenir,"  "  Book  of  Beauty  " 
order,  high  in  the  forehead,  dark  in  the  eyelash,  and 
generally  soft  and  pensive. 

Ben  Jonson  asked  for  a  face  marked  by  simplicity, 
flowing  hair,  and  a   sweet  neglect. 

Cowper  insisted  upon  the  damask  cheek. 

How,  then,  is  the  rule  to  be  fixed?  Shall  we  say 
that  the  lissome  and  featherweight  Burmese  is  not 
beautiful,  because  to  the  Sandwich  Islander  enormous 
girth  is  the  sine  qua  non  to  belledom;  or  shall  we  say 
that  the  straight  up  and  down  waist  of  the  Venus  de 
Milo  is  disgusting  because  that  of  Mme.  de  Maintenon 
was  like  a  wasp?  What  right  have  we  to  make  odes 
to  our  mistress'  eye-brow  because  it  is  arched,  when 
Aladdin  fell  in  love  with  that  of  the  Princess  Noureddin 
because  it  was  slanted;  or  how  shall  we  complacently 
liken  our  sweetheart's  teeth  to  a  double  row  of  pearls, 
when  the  Turkish  poets  sing  praises  to  their  beauties' 
betel-stained  teeth,  because  they  are  like  pomegranate 
seeds? 


Inventions  and  their  Birth. 

The  first  really  practical  sewing  machine  was  invented 
by  Elias  Howe  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,   in   1841. 

The  electric  light  was  first  obtained  by  Sir  Humphrey 


2^22  CURIOUS  FACTS 

Davy  in  1843,  but  recent  improvements  by  Edison  and 
Brush  have  made  its  general  use  possible. 

The  telegraph  was  invented  by  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse 
of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  in  1837,  five  years  after  he  began 
experimenting.  He  obtained  his  first  patent  in  1840, 
and  in  1843  congress  appropriated  $30,000  for  its  de- 
velopment. 

The  steam  engine  was  invented  by  James  Watt,  an 
instrument  maker  at  the  University  of  Glasgow,  in  1763. 
In  1769  he  patented  his  famous  condenser,  and  in  1784 
his  parallel  motion,  throttle  valve  governor,  and  indi- 
cator, all  of  which  are  still  used. 

Railroads,  with  wooden  rails,  were  first  used  in  1672 
at  collieries ;  cast  iron  rails  were  first  used  in  1738.  An 
iron  rail  nailed  to  wooden  sleepers  was  first  used  in 
1776,  and  the  present  idea  of  rails  and  wheels  adapted 
to  each  other  was  invented  in  1789. 

The  first  locomotive  was  built  by  Richard  Trevithick 
in  1804,  but  the  first  locomotive  after  the  modern  idea 
was  built  by  George  Stephenson  in  1829.  The  idea  of 
the  construction  of  a  locomotive  was  given  to  the  world 
by  James  Watt  in   1769,  and  patented  by  him  in   1784. 

The  steamboat,  now  indispensable  to  the  navigation 
of  rivers  and  lakes  and  for  ocean  travel,  was  invented 
by  Robert  Fulton,  an  American,  who  conceived  the  idea 
in  1793.  He  built  the  first  vessel,  the  Clermont,  in  1807, 
the  first  successful  voyage  being  up  the  Hudson  from 
New  York  to  Albany. 

The  telephone,  an  invention  for  reproducing  the  hu- 
man voice  by  the  agency  of  electricity  at  long  distances 
from  the  speaker,  is  due  to  the  ingenuity  of  Elisha 
Gray  of  Chicago;  Professor  A.  Graham  Bell  of  Wash- 
ington; Professor  A.  C.  Dolbeare  of  Tufts  College, 
Massachusetts,  and  Thomas  A.  Edison  of  Menlo  Park, 
N.  J. 

The  air  brake  was  invented  by  Westinghouse,  1874; 
the  torpedo,  by  Bushnell,  1777;  watch,  by  Peter  Hele, 
1477;  thermometer,  by  Drebbel,  1609;  telescope,  by  Lip- 
persheim,  1608;  printing,  by  Gansfleisch,  1438;  cotton 
gin,  by  Eli  Whitney,  1793 ;  miscroscope,  by  Jansen, 
1590;  lithography,  by  Senef elder,  1798;  lightning  rods, 
by    Franklin,    1752;   gunpowder,    by    Schwartz,    1320; 


CURIOUS  FACTS  323 

balloon,  by  Montgolfier,  1783;   barometer,  by  Torricelli, 
1643. — Journal  of  Education. 

The  Big  Toed  People. 

The  strangest  of  all  the  Indo-Chinese  races,  the  an- 
cient Gioa-Chi  or  Big  Toed  Race,  is  called  in  our 
geographies  ''  The  Anamese."  This  extraordinary  peo- 
ple are  about  the  ugliest  and  worst  built  of  all  our  semi- 
civilized  Asiatic  cousins.  They  are  much  shorter  than 
the  Malays,  darker  skinned,  with  lower  foreheads,  less 
developed  skull,  a  flatter  nose,  larger  mouth,  thicker 
lips,  blackened  teeth,  gums  often  destroyed  by  the  use 
of  betel  nut,  prominent  cheek  and  jaw  bones,  so  that 
the  face  is  lozenge  shaped,  short  neck,  shoulders  sloping 
abruptly,  and  a  see-sawing  sort  of  gait  when  walking. 
But  the  most  curious  development  of  all  is  the  big  toe. 
It  is  large,  broad,  and  flat;  moreover,  the  distance  be- 
tween that  member  of  the  foot  and  the  other  toes  is  so 
great  that  the  Chinese  so  long  ago  as  2357  b.  c.  gave 
them  the  name  of  Gioa-Chi,  or  the  Big  Toed  Race. 

This  curious  physical  formation  is  such  that  it  quite 
marks  them  from  all  other  Asiatic  peoples  who  walk 
barefooted;  and,  strange  to  say,  that  though  more  than 
forty  centuries  have  passed  since  this  peculiarity  was 
first  noticed  by  Chinese  travelers,  and  in  spite  of  fre- 
quent intermarriages  with  other  races,  the  Anamese 
have  transmitted,  without  the  least  perceptible  modifica- 
tion, this  formation  of  the  foot  to  their  descendants 
to-day;  which  facts,  according  to  some  ethnologists, 
serve  to  prove  that  the  Anamese  are  not  descended  from 
the  mingling  of  indigenous  races,  but  rather  that  they 
have  existed  for  an  immense  period  of  time  as  a  distinct 
and  peculiar  race. 

Whistling  Jugs  of  Peru. 

The  silvadors  or  musical  jugs  found  among  the  burial 
places  of  Peru  are  most  ingenious  specimens  of  handi- 
work. A  silvio  in  the  William  S.  Vaux  collection  of 
Philadelphia  consists  of  two  vases,  whose  bodies  are 
joined  one  to  the  other  with  a  hole  or  opening  between 
them.  The  neck  of  one  of  these  vases  is  closed,  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  opening  in  which  a  clay  pipe 


324  CURIOUS  FACTS 

is  inserted  leading  to  the  body  of  a  whistle.  When  a 
liquid  is  poured  into  the  open  necked  vase,  the  air  is 
compressed  in  the  other,  and,  -escaping  through  the  nar- 
row opening,  is  forced  into  the  whistle,  the  vibrations 
producing   sounds. 

Many  of  these  sounds  represent  the  notes  of  birds; 
one  in  the  Clay  collection  of  Philadelphia  imitates  the 
notes  of  the  robin  or  some  other  member  of  the  thrush 
tribe  peculiar  to  Peru.  The  close  neck  of  this  double 
vase  is  modeled  into  a  representation  of  a  bird's  head, 
which  is  thrushlike  in  character.  Another  water  vase 
in  the  same  collection  representing  a  llama,  imitates  the 
disgusting  habit  which  this  animal  possesses  of  ejecting 
its  saliva  when  enraged.  The  hissing  sound  which  ac- 
companies this  action  is  admirably  imitated.  A  black 
tube  of  earthenware,  ornamented  with  a  grotesque  head 
in  low  relief,  to  which  short  arms  are  attached,  press- 
ing a  three  tubed  syrinx  to  its  lips  (Clay  collection), 
deserves  especial  mention,  as  it  suggests  the  evolution 
of  this  instrument  from  a  single  tube  to  more  compli- 
cated forms. 

Explosive  Ice. 

A  most  unusual  phenomenon,  which  occurred  in  the 
laboratory  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  has  been  de- 
scribed by  Mr  Mallet,  the  professor  of  chemistry  of 
that  establishment.  During  a  severe  storm  ice  was 
formed  in  the  glass  vessel  of  a  gazogene,  the  familiar 
apparatus  for  charging  water  with  carbonic  acid  gas. 
The  expansion  of  the  ice  burst  the  vessel,  after  which 
the  ice  itself  exploded  repeatedly  and  threw  off  frag- 
ments, with  a  crackling  sound.  The  effect  is  attributed 
to  the  pressure  of  the  gas  contained  in  the  ice,  which, 
in  the  case  of  water,  would  appear  as  simple  efferves- 
cence.— Popular  Science  News. 

Try  this  Puzzle. 

Open  a  book  at  random  and  select  a  word  within  the 
first  ten  lines,  and  within  the  tenth  word  from  the  end 
of  the  line.  Mark  the  word.  Now  double  the  number 
of  the  page  and  multiply  the  sum  by  five.  Then  add 
twenty.     Then  add  the  number  of  the  line  you  have 


'CURIOUS  FACTS  325 

selected.  Then  add  five.  Multiply  the  sum  by  ten.  Add 
the  number  of  the  word  in  the  line.  From  this  subtract 
230,  and  the  remainder  will  indicate  in  the  unit  column 
the  number  of  the  word,  in  the  ten  column  the  number 
of  the  line,  and  the  remaining  figures  the  number  of  the 
page. — Exchange. 

Noiseless  Gunpowder. 

The  noiseless  powder  is  not  a  new  invention.  In  tht 
third  volume  of  Benvenuto  Cellini's  autobiography,  the 
author  relates  that  when  suffering  from  fever  in  Ferrara 
he  cured  himself  by  eating  peacock,  and  that  he  pro- 
cured himself  the  birds  surreptitiously  by  shooting  them 
with  powder,  *'  invented  by  him,  that  made  no  noise." 

A  Few  Marred  Quotations. 

Milton's  famous  line  on  pride,  **  That  last  infirmity 
of  noble  mind,"  is  spoiled  by  making  the  word  ''  minds." 
So  is  Pope's  fine  thought,  "  Welcome  the  coming,  speed 
the  going  guest "  spoiled  by  the  substitution  of  "  part- 
ing "  for  '*  going."  We  hear  "  Westward  the  star  of 
empire  takes  its  way "  quoted  every  day.  Bishop 
Berkeley   wrote   '*  course,"   not   "  star." 

Apt  quotation  sometimes  finds  its  reward,  as  Bayle 
thought  it  should  always. 

Raleigh  was  knighted  because  he  quoted  to  Elizabeth 
Shakespeare's  lines  on  ''  The  fair  vestal  throned  in  the 
west." 

A  Drop  of  Water. 

"  Think  you  that  a  drop  of  water,  which  to  the 
vulgar  eye  is  but  a  drop  of  water,  loses  everything  in 
the  eye  of  the  physicist,  who  knows  that  its  elements 
are  held  together  by  a  force  which,  if  suddenly  liberated, 
would^  produce  a  flash  of  lightning?  Think  you  that 
what  is  carelessly  looked  upon  by  the  uninitiated  as  a 
mere  snowflake  does  not  suggest  higher  associations  to 
one  who  has  seen  through  a  microscope  the  wondrously 
varied  and  elegant  forms  of  snow  crystals?  Think  you 
that  the  rounded  rock,  marked  with  parallel  scratches, 
calls  up  as  much  poetry  in  an  ignorant  mind  as  in  the 
mind  of  a  geologist,  who  knows  that  on  this  rock  a 


326  CURIOUS  FACTS 

glacier  slid  a  million  years  ago  ?  The  truth  is,  that  those 
who  have  never  entered  upon  scientific  pursuits  are  blind 
to  most  of  the  poetry  by  which  they  are  surrounded. 
Whoever  has  not  in  youth  collected  plants  and  insects 
knows  not  half  the  halo  of  interest  which  lanes  and 
hedgerows  can  assume.  Whoever  has  not  sought  for 
fossils  has  little  idea  of  the  poetical  associations  that 
surround  the  places  where  imbedded  treasures  are  found. 
Whoever  at  the  seaside  has  not  had  a  miscroscope  and 
aquarium  has  yet  to  learn  what  the  highest  pleasures 
of  the  seaside  are."— Herbert  Spencer. 


INDEX 

PAGE 

Advertising,  ancient 20 

Advice  that  is  easy  to  give 109 

Advice  to  a  young  man     .,..,.  56 

Age,  how  to  tell  a  person's 144 

Age,  a  humane ,        ,  257 

Age  of  parents  and  vitality  of  children  ,        ,112 

Age,  rules  for  old 277 

Ahead  of  his  time 136 

Air  in  crowded  rooms       ..#•••  137 

•*   in  water 148 

Alphabets,  ancient  .        ,        .        .        ,        .52 

Ambergris,  what  is 197 

Amen 311 

Ancestors 12 

Animals,  grouping  of        *        .        .        .        ,        .11 

**        homing  faculty 235 

**        how  some  eat 312 

"        its  own  doctor            .        .        .        .        •  157 

**        peculiarities 25 

**        Peruvian,  ancient  and  domestic      .        .  33 

**        swiftest  running 243 

•*        that  see  both  ways 156 

•*        thick-skinned 156 

'*        weather  told  by 187 

Antipathy,  remarkable  instances  of        .        .        .  223 

Apple  tree,  the  glorious 151 

Arabian  Nights  translator,  the        .        .        .        •  100 

Artist,  nature's  change     .,•.,,  267 

Arts,  lost  Peruvian            309 

Astrology 301 

Athlete,  a  female       ..•••••  217 

Atoms,  measurement  of 204 

Auld  Robin  Gray       .••••••  99 

Baby  opens  its  mental  eyes,  how  a         •       •       •  182 

Bamboo  tree,  the      •••••«•  254 


328 


INDEX 


Bank  notes,  old 

Basket  trick,  the  genuine 

Beauty,  what  is 

Beggars  in  China       .        » 

Beliefs,  queer     . 

Bells,  barometric 

Bible,  divisions  of  the 

*•      history  of  the 

**      the  seven 

*'      statistics 
Big  results  from  small  hints 
Birds,  early  rising     . 

*'      humming 

* '      legends  about 

**      speed  and  power  of 
Birthday,  effect  of  month  on  disposition 
Bismarck's  famous  sentence 
Bleeding  to  death 
Blind  in  China,  the    . 
Bluebeard  story,  the 
**  Blue  Stockings  " 
Body,  wonders  of  the 
Books,  date  written 

•*      how  to  read  a 

**      sizes  of 
Boomerang 
Boring  into  the  earth 
Boy  should  learn,  a    . 
Brace  up     .        .        , 
Brains,  about 

**       impressions 

**       weight  of  man  and  woman 
Breathing,  statistics  of 
Breeding  of  hogs 

Bridge  building,  a  first  principle  of 
Bridges,  early    . 
British  Empire 
Browning's  religious  belief 
Bulls  .... 

'*    of  a  German  professor 
Burial  customs,  strange 
Buried  forests  of  New  Jersey 


PAGE 

320 
41 

287 
161 
i6g 

168 
89 

14 
308 

26 
300 
192 
220 

63 

82 

79 
174 
242 

II 

174 

121 

183 

29 

51 

58 

114 

75 

171 

54 

60 

91 

34 

276 

189 

"3 
265 
283 
272 
268 
20 


INDEX 


329 


PAGE 

Bus,  first  in  London ♦  315 

Cable  message,  how  received  .        .        .        .105 

Calendar  items 85 

Camels 33 

Camphor,  how  made 253 

Canal,  a  singular 311 

Candlemas  Day 109 

Cards,  improvised 271 

*'       visiting,  origin  of 19 

Carthusian  table,  the  famous           ....  194 

Carving  on  peach  stones 73 

Cats,  Egyptian 155 

Centipede's  enemy 162 

Chair,  an  ancient ,         .  161 

Character,  key  to  success 48 

Cherokee  written  language,  the      ....  96 

Children,  precocity  of  Hindoo          ....  205 

Child's  vocabulary 24 

Chinese  beggars 41 

**        customs 94 

**        doctors'  bills 38 

*'        farm  life 41 

**        health 39 

**        honesty 40 

"        marriage  superstitions        ....  22 

*'       without  nerves             39 

Churches,  large 199 

Clock  and  watch  dials 42 

**      500  years  old 88 

Coal  consumption,  the  world's         .        •        .        .  44 
Cobra,  the  Egyptian          .        .        .        .        ,        .159 

Coffee  among  the  Arabs 190 

"      composition  of 207 

**      how  the  Turks  make 190- 

**      plant,  beauty  of     .        ,        .        •        .        .  208 

Coins,  slang  names  for 117 

**      substitutes 199 

Cologne  Cathedral,  the 284 

Colors,  derivation  of 9 

**       influence  of 116 

"       of  the  Roman  Gods 73 

Commercial  proverbs 50 


33d  i^DS^ 


PAGE 

Consumption,  age  for       .        .        •        «        .        .253 

Corsican  brothers,  the 250 

Cotton II 

Couldn't  find  it 205 

Country,  a  strange 317 

Crocodile  tears 121 

Court  customs,  an  improvement  in  •        ,        .176 

Courting  in  Russia 40 

Customs  of  the  Esquimaux 288 

Date  palms,  propagation  of 185 

Day,  length  of            24 

Deathbed  utterances 259 

Death,  a  certain  sign  of 161 

**      dates  of  historical  characters       .        .        .110 

'*      of  Apostles 269 

Deeds,  the  first  in  English 143 

Dentistry,  Oriental 234 

Dials,  watch  and  clock      ......  42 

Divorces  in  various  countries           .        •        .        •  93 

Doctors*  bills,  Chinese 38 

Dogs,  Esquimaux 129 

**      habit,  a 189 

**      most  noted 186 

'*      short  life  of  the 174 

Dominical  letter,  the— why  so  named     .        .        .103 

Domestic  life,  variety  in 249 

Dressmakers,  terms  used  by 295 

Ducks  and  geese,  the  flight  of         ....  220 

Ducks  in  China I53 

Duel,  a  peculiar 280 

Dunces,  some  noted 3i(> 

Dwarf  stories 5^ 

Dying  suffer  not,  the         ......  180 

Earliest  standing  army,  the     .....  74 

Early  rising  birds      .......  26 

Ears,  about         .        .        .        .        .        .        .        •  63 

Echoes,  some  wonderful 40 

Editing,  the  rewards  of 130 

Eggs,  differences  in I54 

Elephant's  sagacity,  an    .        •        •        •        •        .  25^ 


PAGE 

Elephant*s  trunk,  muscles  of 48 

Embalming,  method  of 176 

Engineering,  feats  of        ......  12 

England,  ruled  by  foreigners           ....  78 

English  names,  a  few 270 

**       words 121 

Envelopes,  introduction  of 265 

Errors  of  history i45 

Events  of  a  half -century 72 

Evolution  of  the  piano 45 

Executions,  mode  of 11 

Experiment  in  tasting 27 

Explosives 224 

"          power  of          .•»...  263 

Eye,  cinder  in  the 142 

•*     the  evil 149 

"     mummy's 205 

"     our  tell-tale        .        .        •        .        .        .        .  307 

Fabrics,  origin  of  names  of 248 

Facts  worthy  of  note 276 

Fall  down  ^  how  to 171 

Family,  the  human             ......  275 

Farm  life  in  China             41 

Feats  of  engineering          .        .        i        .        .        .  12 

Feet,  greasing  soldiers'              7 

Felt,  invention  of 38 

Finger  nails,  character  shown  by     ....  9 

**          "      curious  facts  about      ....  92 

'*          **     growth  of     ......  79 

*'          **      when  to  pare 7 

Fire,  how  savages  make 261 

**     made  by  friction       ......  279 

Fish,  swift           .'..••..  262 

Flag,  general  notes            264. 

Flames,  production  of 30 

Flies,  fecundity  of 163 

Flowers  in  religious  ceremonies       ....  288 
'*        sleep,  why             ,        ,        ,        .        ,        .113 

Fly's  wing 16 

Folk  lore,  flowers  in 238 

••       *•     of  the  oak         .•»•••  208 


332 


INDEX 


Food,  queer  articles  of 
Forests,  buried,  of  New  Jersey- 
Force,  immense  gain  in 
Foundlings  in  Russia 
Foundry  work,  curious 
Fountain  pen,  how  to  unscrew 
Four  elements,  game  of 
Franklin's  cipher,  who  can  read 
Friday  is  not  unlucky 
Funeral  ceremony,  a  curious 
Funeral  customs 
Funny  statistics 


PAG£ 


Garnet  ledges  in  Alaska 
Gems  and  their  composition 
Gilderoy's  kite 
Girls  kept  in  cages 

*'     training  for 
Gloves  in  early  times 
God's  acre  .... 

Gold,  antiquity  of       .         .         . 
Greeting  customs  in  other  climes 
Gunpowder,  noiseless 


Hackney  coach  stands,  origin  of 
Handwriting  of  authors 

Handy 

Harvests,  time  of  the  world's 
Head,  odd  things  on  the 
Health,  secret  of  Chinese 
Heart,  mechanism  of 

•*       to  make  strong 
Heavy  family      .... 
Hebrew  names,  meaning  of 
Height  of  sea  waves 
Hello,  its  derivation 
Help  yourself      .... 
Hill  climbers,  for 
History,  a  bit  of  .        .        , 

Hogs,  breeding  of       .        .        , 
*•  Holy  Lands  "  of  all  religions 
Home,  the  old 


WDBX  533 

PAGE 

HornbiU's  defences  .        •        .        .        .        .153 

Horse,  good  points  of  a 255 

**       a  hospitable  256 

"      power,  why  33,000  lbs.  is  a  ...     191 

**       shoe,  history  of  a 161 

Hottest  spot  on  earth 98 

Houses,  Fijian  241 

How  to  see  the  wind 13 

Human  machanisra,  wonderful         .        .        .        .281 
Humidity .         .148 

Ice  as  a  healer             loo 

**    explosive 324 

I.  H.  S.,  the  meaning  of            74 

Iliad,  the  casket  copy 19 

Indexing  extraordinary 306 

Indian  sign  language,  the 125 

Industry  of  Welsh  women 75 

Ink  of  antiquity 62 

Insect  eaters,  human 201 

Insects,  longevity  of 162 

**        to  destroy,  on  animals         ....  254 

Invention  of  felt 38 

*'          *'  omnibuses              37 

**          what  it  has  done        .        .        .        ,        .  36 
Inventions  and  their  birth         .        .        ,        ,        .321 

Inventor  of  spectacles 37 

"        who  made  money 38 

Items,  odds  and  ends  of  curious       ....  219 

Joking,  the  psychology  of  .....     182 

Juggler  and  the  Scotchman,  the       ,        ,        ,        ,      43 

Kite,  Gilderoy's 24 

Kite  flying  in  Japan  .        ,        .        ..       ,        .210 

Lake,  deepest  in  the  world       .        •        .        .        .  226 

'*      deepest  known 226 

Land,  mean  height  of        .        ,        .        .        ,        .  258 

Language,  an  intricate 119 

**         of  the  parasol            .        ,        *        .        *  30 

•*         progress  of       ••••••  28 


tu 


WDEit 


Laughs,  note  how  your  friend 
Laughter  as  a  health  promoter 
Leather,  expensive  variety- 
Length  of  the  day 
Letter  carrier's  walk,  a 
Letters,  the  use  of 
Life,  how  to  enjoy 

<<      a      4<  prolong 
Lightning  rod,  the  first 
Limbs  of  the  mind 
Lions,  how  people  have  become 
Longevity,  extraordinary 

*'  modern 

Long  hours         .... 
Lung  power,  how  to  increase 

Magnetism,  curiosities  of 
Man  in  the  Iron  Mask,  the 
Mankind,  the  races  of 
Manners,  English  and  French 
Man  of  strength,  an  ancient 
Man's  magnaminity,  a  brave 

**      relative  height  and  weight 
Marriage  customs 

*'  '*        ancient 

**        laws,  English  and  Mahomedan 

**         records,  old 

"        a  strange 

**        superstitions,  Chinese 
Married  twenty-five  times 
Mars,  the  surface  of 
Mathematical  signs,  origin  of 
Mats,  Samoan  . 

Medicines,  when  to  give 
Memorization,  feats  of 
Memory,  an  experiment  with  the 
Mental  power,  extraordinary 
Mexican  monolith,  the 
Mile  in  all  countries,  the 
Miniature,  origin  of  .        , 

Mines,  Nevada's  deep 
Mistakes,  the  fourteen  great    « 


PAGE 

246 
138 
44 
24 
108 
221 
251 
162 
244 
104 

243 
127 
112 
81 
137 

«04 
254 
313 
241 
277 
286 
107 
295 
215 
309 
16 

75 
22 

74 
189 
310 
252 
162 

96 

97 
81 

195 

250 

8 

49 

133 


PAGE 

Money,  coined,  its  origin           .        *        .        «        .  84 

Monkey  bread  tree,  the 185 

Moonless  month,  a 23 

Morganatic  marriages 47 

Mosquitoes           ...          .         ,        .        .         .  288 

**           in  England      ......  164 

Mountain  ranges,  great 164 

Mount  Kilmanjaro,  a  lake  near         .        .        .        .303 

Mourning,  colors  for 214 

Name,  a  safe 293 

Names,  letters  in .136 

National  forms  of  greeting 61 

Never  settled  problems 22 

Newspaper  names  in  the  Far  West  .        .        .132 

Nicknames,  various             140 

Noses  of  historical  characters  .         .        .        .50 

Nuggets,  big  gold 134 

Numbers,  magic  in 227 

' '         the  power  of 143 

Nutmegs 281 

Ocean's  wealth,  the 206 

Odd  items 294 

O.  K.,  its  origin 78 

Omnibuses,  invention  of 37 

Orang  outang,  size  of 247 

Organ,  the 222 

Owl  does,  what  the 235 

Oysters  in  antiquity i55 

Ozone,  value  of           ..,.,..  240 

Paper,  early  linen       . 100 

"       how  to  split 249 

Parasol,  language  of 30 

Paris  and  London,  contrasts  between      .        .        .  I75 

Paris  number  twelve-and-a-half       ....  98 

Patron  saints 146 

Peculiarities  of  animals 25 

Pekin,  sanitary  condition  of 39 

Pen  squibs 57 

People,  big-toed         .       ,       ,        .       •        •        .  323 


33^ 


INDEX 


PAGfc 

Perfect  woman  nobly  planned,  a      •        .        .        .83 

Perfume,  weight  of            10 

Period,  an  important 177 

Perusal  of  a  book 80 

Peruvian,  ancient,  domestic  animals        ...  33 

Phenomenal  hand  at  whist 29 

Phrases,  oft  quoted 210 

*'        old  colloquial 125 

Phonograph  foretold 296 

Physicians  and  Persian  women        ....  232 

Piano,  evolution  of 45 

Pig,  a  good  word  for  the 226 

'*  Pigeon  English,"  origin  of  the  term      .        .        .120 

Plants,  self-protected 53 

Pluck,  a  blooded  racer's 157 

Pneumonia's  victims 180 

Poems,  how  some  were  written         ....  124 

Poetic  aphorism,  a 126 

Poisons  as  stimulants         .        .        .        .        .        .  232 

Posy  and  motto  rings         .        .        .        .        4        .183 

Pounds  Sterling 285 

Power  of  kindness 45 

Printers,  six  literary 146 

Profile,  the  first 52 

Progress  of  languages 28 

Propensities,  inherited I53 

Proverbs  of  the  Scotch      ,        .        .        ,        .        .  299 

*'        similarity  of 30 

Pump  operates,  why  a       .        .        ,        .        .        .  147 

Punctuation 8 

Puzzle,  the  Chinese            ......  225 

*  *       try  this 324 

Queer  articles  of  food 70 

"      questions 90 

eueries,  pertinent 208 

notations,  a  few  marred 325 

Race,  a  curious 179 

Railroad  signals  .        .        ,        .        .        .        .55 

Rainfalls 255 

Rats     ..,•.,,*,.  8 


INDEX 


337 


Rats  an  irresistible  bait  for 

Reading,  speed  at 

Records,  odd  marriage 

Regameunde,  ruins  of 

Red-haired,  consolation  for  the 

Remedies,  some  old  odd 

Rhymes,  counting-out 

Rice,  consumption  of 

Rich,  rules  for  getting 

Right-handed,  why  we  are 

Rights  and  lefts 

Rocks  of  the  earth 

Rod,  the      ...         . 

Roman  amphitheatres 

Rome,  size  of  old  city 

*•  Roorback,"  origin  cf  term 

Rosetta  stone,  the 

Royal  blood  in  ever^^body's  veins 

Runaway  horse,  to  stop  a 

Running  produces  heat»  why 

Russian  courting 

Sahara's  march,  the 
Salary,  derivation  of  the  word 
Salt,  uses  of  common 
Sanity,  proving  their 
Science,  the  parodoxes  of 
Sea,  wonders  of  the 
Seeds,  distribution  of 
"      germination  of 
Sentence,  a  long 
Serpent's  head,  a  jewel  in 
Sheep,  long-tailed 
Siberia,  mineral  wealth  of 
Signs,  curious 
Sign  posts,  queer 
Silver  and  gold,  valuation  of 
Similarity  of  proverbs 
Simple  remedy,  a 
Sixty  seconds  make  a  minute,  : 
Sizes  of  books     . 
Skeleton,  a  gigantic      .     . 


PAGE 

187 

104 

16 

118 

133 

138 

140 

70 

266 

ig8 

99 

52 

80 

61 

88 

47 
242 
181 

187 

178 

40 

270 
119 

259 
320 
209 

35 

2QI 

53 
102 

158 

158 

263 

206 

23 

274 

30 

64 

85 

29 

274 


33« 


INDEX 


Slang  and  swearing 

Slang  terms,  origin  of 

Sleeplessness,  prevention  of 

Snakes,  hunting  rattlesnakes 

Snowball,  to  light  a  lamp  with 

Snow  plant 

Snow  storms,  colored 

Soap,  early  use  of 

Sobriquets  of  women 

Sociological  power 

Soldiers,  greasing  feet 

Some  things  we  don't  know 

Song,  origin  of  a  famous 

Sound,  conductors  of 

Sounds,  long-distance 

Spectacles,  inventor  of 

Spelling 

Spider  and  a  beetle,  a 

Spider,  threads  spun  by  a 

**  Steal  my  thunder  " 

St.  Jerome 

St.  Peter's 

Success  and  heroism 

Suicide,  curiosities  of 

Suicides,  some  famous 

Sun  dials,  mottoes  for 

Superstitions  about  babies 
**  *'      gems 

**  **       Friday 

**  **      insects 

**  •'      marriage 

*•  **      shoes 

•*  Chinese  marriage 

*•  curious  Italian 

••  Bengal 

*'  a  few     . 

Hindoo 
**  horse  shoe    . 

"  Mexican 

*•  of  Brittany 

"  *•  the  sea      . 

**  race  track     • 


INDEX  339 

PAGE 

Superstitions  about  remedies   •        .        .        •        .  150 

"            tree 177 

Superstitious,  who*s? 165 

Swiss  goodnight 45 

**  T  "  to  a,  derivation 91 

Tara's  halls 285 

Tarring  and  feathering 21 

Tartan  not  an  ancient  Scotch  dress          .        .        .  214 

Tasting,  experiments  in 27 

Teeth,  will  we  lose  ? 318 

Telegram,  longest  twelve  word        .        .        .        .118 

Telegraphs,  primitive 105 

*  *           wireless,  suggested  240  years  ago        .  236 

Telephone  predicted 237 

Thimbles,  a  brief  history  of       .        ,        ,        .        .150 

Things  eaten  from  the  fingers           .        .        .        .  i8i 

*'      never  settled           ..,,..  22 

Thought,  the  speed  of 179 

''Thunder,  steal  my" 29 

Thunderstorms,  about 217 

*' To  give  the  sack,*' origin 221 

Tonnage,  how  reckoned 48 

Tooth  present 240 

Tornadoes,  paths  of 311 

Touracos,  the 247 

Trees,  California's  big 297 

'*      growth  of 49 

**      Japanese  dwarf       ..••..  258 

**      that  sprout,  killing 185 

"         **    yield  milk 245 

**      with  large  leaves    .        ,        .        ,        ,        .186 

Tribunal,  the  world's  most  powerful        .        .        .  319 

Tributes  paid  to  women 245 

Tricks,  easy  method 231 

Turks  and  Crescent 119 

Unappreciated            132 

Vanilla  bean,  gathering  the 133 

Vegetables,  medicinal       ..•..»  184 

Ventilation,  window «33 

Venus  dd  Milo    ••••••••  46 


340  INDEX 


PAGE 

Vibrations,  audible 165 

Victoria  Regia  Lily,  the             272 

Virginia  natural  bridge,  a  rival  of    .        .        .        .  292 

Visiting  cards,  origin  of 19 

Vitality,  origin  of 171 

Vocabulary,  a  child's          ...,♦.  24 

Volume,  a  tiny 314 

Wandering  Jew,  tradition  of 176 

Washington's  death             202 

Watch  and  clock  dials 47 

'*       a  wonderful 87 

*•       screws 88 

"       separate  pieces  in  .        •        .        .        .82 

*'       without  hands 35 

Water,  a  drop  of 325 

"       power      ...»,...  167 

**       quenches  fire,  how 141 

Waves,  sea,  height  of 13 

Weather  happenings,  curious           ....  278 

indicators,  safe            98 

signs 215 

Welsh  women,  industry  of 70 

Wheat  and  whence  it  came 293 

Whistling  jugs  of  Peru 329 

Whist,  phenomenal  hand  at 22 

Wife,  how  to  select  a 134 

Wing,  vibration  of  a  fly's 16 

Wind,  how  to  see  the 13 

Winnie  and  Walter             .        .        .        ^        .        .  loi 

Witty  toasts ,        .  82 

Woman  mails  a  letter,  when  a          ....  246 

Women,  past  literary 284 

Wonderful  echoes 40 

Wonders  of  the  sea             35 

Word,  an  English 205 

Words,  derivation  of 117 

queer,  their  origin 305 

Wrinkles,  what  makes 252 

Wrongly  named 260 

Yawning,  cause  of 55 

Zoological  enigma      .        • 68 


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